Ricart, Sandra, Villar Navascués, Rubén Alejandro, Gil-Guirado, Salvador, Hernández-Hernández, María, Rico, Antonio, Olcina, Jorge
Could MOOC-Takers’ Behavior Discuss the Meaning of Success-Dropout Rate? Players, Auditors, and Spectators in a Geographical Analysis Course about Natural Risks
Ricart S, Villar-Navascués RA, Gil-Guirado S, Hernández-Hernández M, Rico-Amorós AM, Olcina-Cantos J. Could MOOC-Takers’ Behavior Discuss the Meaning of Success-Dropout Rate? Players, Auditors, and Spectators in a Geographical Analysis Course about Natural Risks. Sustainability. 2020; 12(12):4878. doi:10.3390/su12124878
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10045/107384
DOI: 10.3390/su12124878
ISSN: 2071-1050
Abstract: 
Research interest in massive online and open courses (MOOCs) is rapidly growing, questioning who enrolls, why and how to conceive engagement, and success rates. This study is focused on MOOC-takers behavior obtained from a seven-week MOOC experience on natural risks. Data scraping principles have been used to collect data. Demographics, success-dropout rates, engagement periods, achievement and scoring, and behavior were analyzed through descriptive statistics, non-parametric correlation analysis, and statistical hypothesis testing. The results show that students who start earlier and those who finish earlier the course obtain better grades in some of the modules (motivation and background on natural risks could be the explanation). However, for ‘last moment students’, speed in passing the modules is either related to greater motivation, although in this case it is not related to better grades. Furthermore, students who complete tasks during the weekend take less time to complete the modules and obtain a better grade. In addition, a learning strategy is promoted by reconsidering who is learning: players (those who complete the course and earning a certificate), auditors (those who have completed a thematic unit or the whole module, earning partial knowledge), and spectators (those enrolled until the end of the course, who intend earning experience in e-learning).
Keywords:Massive open online courses, eLearning, Behavior, Success, Geography, Natural risks
MDPI
info:eu-repo/semantics/article