Engagement measures in massive open online courses

Abstract

Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) provision has proliferated over the past four years and millions of learners have participated. However, it is widely acknowledged that the number of completions is disturbingly low and MOOC drop-out rates have been a prominent issue of discussion. Currently, most MOOC analysis focuses on aspects such as patterns of engagement and prediction of dropout using data obtained by applying learning analytics to the large amounts of data gathered. In contrast, the effectiveness of teaching and learning programs in traditional face-to-face Higher Education (HE) settings is increasingly being assessed by measures linked to the promotion of student engagement. Internationally, student engagement surveys are being used to provide profiles of the effectiveness of teaching and learning within and between courses. In this paper we consider MOOC participation and drop-out issues emerging from the literature, and provide an overview of the student engagement surveys now widely used in HE. MOOC pedagogy is examined from the perspective of student engagement and we identify the need for a similar model adapted to MOOCs which could provide both a framework for course development and an instrument to assess aspects of teaching and learning in existing courses.