The first two research articles in this issue are about MOOCs, the last two are confirmation of how broadly online and distance education is being applied and the interview is about distance education in Cuba.
Over a decade ago, the Gartner Group research firm developed a “hype cycle” for new technologies and innovations. They believed all new innovations proceed via an identifiable pattern. Initially, there is a trigger, when the new innovation starts. Then there is a “peak of inflated expectations” where there is a substantial hype about the innovation. This is followed by a rapid decline of expectations called the “trough of disillusionment.” After all this up and down, there is a “plateau of productivity,” where the innovation is actually used and analyzed in realistic ways.
For MOOCs, the innovation trigger can likely be traced to 2008 when the University of Manitoba group developed a MOOC. By the time Stanford academics and business spin-offs started offering MOOCs in 2011 and 2012, the expectations for MOOCs were highly inflated, manifest in the now infamous New York Times declaration that 2011 was the “year of the MOOC.”
Now, five years later, we may have more realistic expectations for MOOCs. They continue to grow and be important. But few are calling them a “disruptive innovation” that will overthrow and transform education. In that spirit, we now have more practical research on MOOCs.
MOOCs are, perhaps unfairly, criticized for having low completion rates. Yet many authors have pointed out that MOOCs may not be courses in the convention sense. Some people enroll in MOOCs to complete it as a course. Others enroll in MOOCs to use it as a resource.
Arora, Goel, Sabitha and Mehrotra in their study are aware of this variation. People enroll in MOOCs with different backgrounds, motivations and goals. Arora et al. cluster MOOC learners according to their interaction patters with MOOC course materials, videos, discussion forums and assignments. Using k-means clustering, they propose organizing learners into categories of learners —Uninterested, Casuals, Performers, Explorers and Achievers. More importantly, each learner had particular learning approaches that can be important for considering the design of MOOCs.
Gameel analyzed “Factors Affecting Learner Satisfaction with Massive Open Online Courses.” The study identified factors affecting learner satisfaction in MOOCs. Interestingly, interaction with learners and with the instructor had no effect on learner satisfaction. How useful learners perceived the course to be was far more important. The results are interesting at a time when so much online education is focused on collaboration. Instead, Gameel’s study suggests independent learning may still be important to many learners, even in MOOCs.
Titarenko and Little also indicate in their study the growing sophistication of online education. Historically, study abroad programs required travel. This study focused on whether students can learn online the important cross-cultural communication skills usually gained from study abroad programs. This research involved studying a course that was taught online internationally for over ten years. The researchers found that asynchronous student-led discussions were indeed useful for communicating the cross-cultural learning goals.
Kumar and Coe study the value of student support and online mentoring for students. The students themselves were enrolled in an online doctoral program. The study is useful for identifying very tangible ways for supporting online students, including the strategies for the mentor, the mentee and the program. As online doctoral programs continue to grow, this research will serve to identify categories that can be tested and applied in future programs and research.
Finally, the issue ends with an interview of Gilberto Garcia Batista from Cuba. He coordinated the National Distance Learning Project from Havana. It is a fascinating interview for a couple of reasons. First, Cuba is renowned for sophisticated adult education, especially adult literacy programs. However, there is much less awareness about distance education there. Also, the interactions with Cuban education will likely continue to grow since the United States and Cuba have recently re-opened diplomatic relations. The interview is a great way to learn about the past and future of distance education there.