![Sample our Education journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5932/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Education.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
MOOCs for learning the basics of programming have become popular among people with a diverse range of backgrounds, interests and learning contexts. Studies show that learners who enrol in MOOCs tend to have different motivation from learners in traditional courses, but it is not known how motivation differs for people with different backgrounds. This study aims to describe how the motivational factors behind enrolment in programming MOOCs relate to learners’ characteristics. The data were gathered in the spring of 2017 with a motivation scale (FIEM) from 1,536 participants of the MOOC ‘About Programming’. Using comparative analysis, differences in motivational factors between groups by gender, employment status and previous experiences in programming were found. Correlational analysis revealed that educational level, age and self-evaluated probability of completing the MOOC were also related to motivational factors. Different people are motivated by different factors, indicating that this knowledge could be used to design interesting and motivating programming MOOCs, which are relevant to learners with various backgrounds.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Piret Luik
Piret Luik (Ph.D.) is an Associate Professor in Informatics Didactics. Her research interests are focused on MOOCs, technology integration including TPACK framework studies, motivation and beliefs towards technology integration, and cyberbullying.
Marina Lepp
Marina Lepp (Ph.D.) is an Associate Professor in Informatics. Her current research interests are focused on didactics of programming, programming MOOCs, and assessment with computers.
Lidia Feklistova
Lidia Feklistova a Ph.D. Student at the Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu. Her Ph.D. thesis is related to participants in massive open online courses.
Merilin Säde
Merilin Säde is a Ph.D. Student at the Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu and employed as an assistant of Informatics. Her research interests include investigating participants' motivation in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), students’ motivation to learn computer science and learning and teaching programming.
Marili Rõõm
Marili Rõõm is a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu. Her research focuses on teaching and learning on MOOCs and dropping out of MOOCs.
Tauno Palts
Tauno Palts is a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu. He has expertise in teaching introductory programming courses to students and teachers.
Reelika Suviste
Reelika Suviste (Ph.D.) is working as a lecturer in Informatics Didactics at the University of Tartu. Her main research interests include investigating the effects of participation in MOOCs, multilevel modeling and structural equation modeling, learning and teaching programming, informatics didactics.
Eno Tõnisson
Eno Tõnisson (Ph.D.) is an associate professor in Informatics Didactics. His current main research theme is the didactic of programming.