MOOC research is typically limited to evaluations of learner behavior in the context of the learning environment. However, some research has begun to recognize that the impact of MOOCs may extend beyond the confines of the course platform or conclusion of the course time limit. This workshop aims to encourage our community of learning analytics researchers to examine the relationship between performance and engagement within the course and learner behavior and development beyond the course. This workshop intends to build an awareness in the community regarding the importance of research measuring multi-platform activity and long-term success after taking a MOOC. We hope to build the community's understanding of what it takes to operationalize MOOC learner success in a novel context by employing data traces across the social web.
1.1
MOOC learners access course content in an asynchronous and unconstrained fashion
[
It is observed that the narrative on MOOCs has shifted from overwhelmingly
optimistic from 2011 to 2014 to substantially more critical in 2015 [
Responding to this challenge, an emerging trend has been seen on identifying and
tracking MOOC learner development outside of the course platform and beyond the
conclusion of the course [
Currently, the most popular approaches adopted by researchers to evaluate a MOOC's success is to measure its learners course engagement and performance. Although this can provide us with some insights, some researchers argue that students' post-course learning activities should also be tracked and analyzed to gain a better understanding of learner behavior.
One key aspect in these post-course learning activities is to what extent learners
apply the knowledge they acquired from a MOOC in practice (i.e., learning transfer). One
example of such research comes from Chen et al. [
In addition to measuring learning transfer, another interesting aspect to investigate
is whether learners continue to study the MOOC subject or related topics after the end
of the course. Just as Chen et al. [
Instead of pursuing a degree in a traditional school setting, a considerable percentage
of MOOC learners are seeking career advancement through taking MOOCs [
In addition to showing interests in accumulating competency, many MOOC learners
have also expressed explicit goals of changing their careers. For instance, recent studies
on MOOC learner motivation suggest that a substantial proportion of learners register
for a MOOC with an intention of changing their job [
More recently, Dillahunt and colleagues [
In addition to post-course development analyzed on the individual level, development
of a community of practice complements the development of individual learners. This
can be particularly relevant for a MOOC in an emerging field since the field needs to
attract new members in order for it to grow and develop. Communities of practice refer
to groups of people who share a common interest and learn how to enrich a shared
repertoire of their practice via joint activities [
MOOCs, as a virtual learning venue, often connect to a community of practice
around the domain of the MOOC’s content. For example, a MOOC teaching methods
in the emerging field of educational data mining (EDM) is likely to attract learners who
are interested in joining the community of practice composed by the field of EDM.
MOOC learners can be perceived as aspiring practitioners in this community of
practice. With their lack of entrance restrictions, MOOCs can provide a new space to
facilitate legitimate peripheral participation. For an emerging field, fostering development
of the community of practice can be crucial, and there is initial evidence that some
MOOC participants join relevant scientific societies during or immediately after
participating in a MOOC [
This workshop aimed to generate awareness in the community that considering learner data beyond the course platform and course-offering window can uncover previously unconsidered learning behaviors.
As such, in adopting and developing this integrated learning analytics approach, the overall goal of the present workshop was to bring together researchers and practitioners from different disciplines and areas of expertise to herald a new MOOC research branch on tracking and analyzing longitudinal MOOC learner development.
Presentations on finished, ongoing, and proposed studies, as well as facilitated discussion sessions are planned to develop a preliminary framework to illustrate the current development of the field and to inspire attendees to come up with exciting new lines of research of their own. Toward building this framework, the following guiding questions are included: • Data source: Where and how can learner post-development data be collected? • Tools: What analytical tools are useful in analyzing datasets merged from multiple sources? • Methods: What analytical methods have been used? What other methods can be applied? • Generalizability: What kind of practices and findings are domain-general or not? • Applicability: How can research findings translate into actionable insights for various stakeholders (learners, instructors, administrators, investors, etc.)? 3
The Workshop on Integrated Learning Analytics of MOOC Post-Course Development took place during the 7th International Learning Analytics & Knowledge Conference, hosted by Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. The goal of this workshop was to foster discussions to rethink how we define success in MOOCs, going beyond performance in MOOCs themselves and thinking about the impacts of the students’ participation in online courses in their life and career outside of the courses.
More than 25 attendees from 10 institutions attended the workshop which included presentations from 1 keynote speaker and 4 submitted papers and group discussions. The topics ranged from how to collect learner post-development data to what pedagogical actions can be triggered based on the existing research findings.
MOOC research is typically limited to evaluations of learner behavior in the context of the learning environment. However, some research has begun to recognize that the impact of MOOCs may extend beyond the confines of the course platform or conclusion of the course time limit. The papers published in these proceedings are great examples of the most recent efforts from Learning Analytics researcher to study MOOCs post course outcomes. This workshop encouraged our community of learning analytics researchers to examine the relationship between performance and engagement within the course and learner behavior and development beyond the course. It built awareness in the community regarding the importance of research measuring multi-platform activity and long-term success after taking a MOOC.
As such, in adopting and developing this integrated learning analytics approach, this workshop brought together researchers and practitioners from different disciplines and areas of expertise to herald a new MOOC research branch on tracking and analyzing longitudinal MOOC learner development. Presentations on finished, ongoing, and proposed studies, as well as facilitated discussion sessions are included. Presentations and discussions of the workshop helped inform a preliminary framework to illustrate the current development of the field and inspire attendees to come up with exciting new lines of research of their own. 4