There have been plenty of studies about massive open
online courses (MOOCs), but not as much is known about those taking the
courses. A group of researchers from around the world are interviewing people
who have completed a MOOC, asking them to describe their experiences and
activities while working through the course.
The researchers interviewed around 70 individuals and discovered
that successful online learners possess sophisticated study skills. They also
found that the flexibility MOOCs provide is essential and that online learning
is an emotional experience for the learners.
“Anxiety, appreciation, embarrassment, and pleasure are
some of the emotions that learners used to describe their experience in these
courses to us,” George Veletsianos, associate professor at Royal Roads
University, Victoria, BC, Canada, wrote in a blog post for Inside Higher Education.
Some learners talked about note-taking strategies and how
their use of external resources helped them gain a greater understanding of the
topics being taught. A large number said their flexible lifestyle gave them the
time to explore more topics of interest.
“By getting to know these invisible learners, we think
we can build a better foundation for online learning, the design of digital
learning experiences, and the use of technology in education,” Veletsianos
wrote. “It is already clear from our initial interviews that in order to create
more egalitarian structures for education, we need to start peeling away the
multitude of barriers that prevent the most vulnerable populations from
participating.”
