Messy realities: Investigating learners' experiences in MOOCs

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Messy realities Investigating learners’ experiences In MOOCs @veletsianos @amcollier “Explosion of Paint” image from MarkChadwickArt CC BY NCND 2.0

description

Amy Collier and George Veletsianos discuss the need for rich methodological and theoretical explorations of learning in MOOCs. Presented at ELI 2014, New Orleans: What do we know about learners' experiences in MOOCs? While surveys and big data yield insights into general behavioral patterns, these detached methods can distance us rather than help us understand the human condition. As a result, the phenomenon of "learning in a MOOC" is understudied and undiscovered. In this session, presenters will share their findings from two small-scale qualitative investigations of MOOC learners' experiences. Attendees will discuss findings from the investigations and generate research questions and methods that advance understanding of MOOC learners' experiences.

Transcript of Messy realities: Investigating learners' experiences in MOOCs

Page 1: Messy realities: Investigating learners' experiences in MOOCs

Messy realities Investigating learners’ experiences

In MOOCs

@veletsianos @amcollier

“Explosion  of  Paint”  image  from  MarkChadwickArt  CC  BY  NC-­‐ND  2.0  

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The new “data science” of learning

-  Majority of learning research in moocs

is survey-based, focused on learner

behavior

-  “big data” is generating new insights,

but researchers may be Excluding

important paradigms & methods

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Why qualitative research for moocs?

-  Different methodologies yield richer

Understandings

Micro (Ota, 2013) “(I was) left with a partial sense of accomplishment and feelings of hollowness and incompleteness”

Macro (Kizilcec, piech, & Schneider, 2013) students are auditing, completing, disengaging, and sampling

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@amcollier

“Explosion  of  Paint”  image  from  MarkChadwickArt  CC  BY  NC-­‐ND  2.0  

Study 1: post-course surveys in 2 moocs

@veletsianos

Study 2: learners’ narratives in moocs

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CS course

Health Science

course

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Applies  to  me   Does  not  apply  to  me   Total  

I  expect  to  perform  beSer  at  my  work  as  a  result  of  this  course  

3,156   172   3,328  

I  plan  on  menUoning  my  parUcipaUon  in  the  course  to  my  employers    

2,470   851   3,321  

I  plan  on  menUoning  my  parUcipaUon  in  the  course  to  current  or  future  educaUonal  insUtuUons    

2,382   939   3,321  

My  problem-­‐solving  skills  have  improved  as  a  result  of  this  course  

2,403   916   3,319  

Taking  this  course  made  me  feel  more  confident  about  learning  new  things  

2,809   519   3,328  

This  course  was  valuable  to  my  academic  career  

2,881   442   3,323  

Health Science

course

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resources used

Wikipedia (CS)

Textbooks & articles (HS & CS)

Other websites

OTHER OER & MOOCs

Colleagues (HS)

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Veletsianos,  G.  (2013).  Learner  Experiences  with  MOOCs  and  Open  Online  Learning.  Hybrid  Pedagogy.  Retrieved  on  Sept  29,  2013  from  hSp://learnerexperiences.hybridpedagogy.com.  

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Results from both studies

Learners Identified a need for improved

Instructional design

- improvements to materials & assessments

- Unclear expectations

- Long & Monotonous lecture videos

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Learners valued flexible learning design

and denounced rigidity

- However, some learners Appreciated some

formal structures

Results from both studies

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- Valued instructor expertise

- Were frustrated by peer-peer interactions

Re: Interactions in the course, Learners:

- Wanted more instructor presence,

appreciated instructor responsiveness

Results from both studies

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Results from both studies

- Expressed enthusiasm & gratitude

Mixed overall responses from learners

- Questioned instructor, institutional, &

MoOc Provider commitment

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@veletsianos

“Explosion  of  Paint”  image  from  MarkChadwickArt  CC  BY  NC-­‐ND  2.0  

Current study:

Learners’ lived experiences in MOocs

@amcollier

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Methods

20 in-depth interviews with mooc learners

Via skype

Interviews transcribed, thematic analysis

Coder check-in after 5 interviews

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“Explosion  of  Paint”  image  from  MarkChadwickArt  CC  BY  NC-­‐ND  2.0  

Discussion

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questions

What’s possible if educational & social

researchers collaborate with computer

scientists?

What should we be asking about the

learner experience?

What designs/methodologies should we be

implementing?