Ambiguous Credentials: How Learners Use and Make Sense of Massively Open Online Courses

Abstract

Researchers have investigated the demography and styles of engagement of those who enroll in MOOCs but have lent little attention to how learners navigate MOOCs’ ambiguity as academic certifications. Analyzing semi-structured interviews with 60 people who devoted substantial time to at least one MOOC between 2014–2017, we find that people use MOOCs to build skills for application at work and home, build relationships, navigate life transitions, and enhance formal presentations of self, at the same time that they disagree on the meaning of MOOC completions as official academic accomplishments. Our findings build theory on the multi-dimensional character of credential prestige that can inform educational social scientists and credential providers in an increasingly complicated postsecondary ecosystem.