Learner engagement, retention and success: why size matters in massive open online courses (MOOCs)

ABSTRACT

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are usually six to ten weeks long. Participation tends to decrease as the courses progress, leading to low completion rates. This led to the question: Could shorter MOOCs contribute to learners’ engagement, retention and success? This paper compares two versions of Study Skills MOOC, which shared the same content but were delivered in different length formats. One was deployed as a single six-week course and the other as two three-week blocks. In total, 617 people registered for the two versions. Data sources included learning analytics, surveys and the Spanish version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Both versions of the Study Skills MOOC resulted in increased participants’ self-efficacy. However, learners enrolled in the version composed of two three-week blocks were also more engaged with course content, other students and the facilitators. Their retention and completion rates were higher than those in the longer version of the course. Reasons linked to goal proximity, motivation, interactions and social modelling are discussed

KEYWORDS:

• MOOCs
• length
• course design
• duration
• engagement
• retention

Supplementary data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the here.

Acknowledgments

The National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) in Mexico supported this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brenda Cecilia Padilla Rodriguez

Brenda Cecilia Padilla Rodriguez (a.k.a Brenda Padilla) is a lecturer at UANL, a member of the National Researchers’ System in Mexico, and a global consultant at E-Learning Monterrey. Her research focuses on online interactions, course design and educational innovations.

Alejandro Armellini

Alejandro Armellini (MEd, PhD, PFHEA, FRSA) is Dean of Learning and Teaching and Director of the Institute of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education at the University of Northampton. His research focuses on learning innovation, online pedagogy, course design in online environments, institutional capacity building and open practices.

Ma Concepción Rodriguez Nieto

Ma Concepción Rodriguez Nieto is a lecturer at UANL, the coordinator of the Science Master programme with orientation in Cognition and Education at UANL’s Faculty of Psychology and a member of the National Researchers’ System in Mexico. Her research focuses on educational psychology, cognitive processes and online learning.