Temporal patterns of MOOC participation. Case study of a language MOOC

Abstract

Although in today’s society Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) have become one of the main tools for continuous learning, one of their main problems is the high dropout rates. The mapping of user profiles and the identification of the intrinsic characteristics of each profile allows for the adaptation of the design of the MOOC to match the patterns of use by students, with the aim of increasing the completion rates of the courses. The user profiles that have been identified to date are based on the level of engagement of MOOC participants and their preference for one type of activities. The objective of this study is to define a series of MOOC participant profiles based on the temporary use of the course, considering the number of sessions and the scheduling performed by the participants, with the objective of contrasting the features of each type of student. With this objective, the information contained in the log files generated during the development of the third edition of the MOOC “Inglés Profesional/Professional English” has been used. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the inclusion into any of the different profiles which successfully complete the MOOC does not imply a better performance in the course or a higher grade.