Why do over 90% of the learners in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) never finish the course? There is a need for further studies focusing on the learners' experiences of participating in MOOCs and factors that influence the decision to complete or drop out of the course. To deepen our understanding of why learners complete or drop out of MOOCs, we report on a qualitative case study based on in-depth interviews with 34 learners with different degrees of course completion for two MOOCs. A qualitative analysis of the interviews led to the identification of four main factors influencing dropout: (1) the learner's perception of the course content, (2) the learner's perception of the course design, (3) the learner's social situation and characteristics, and (4) the learner's ability to find and manage time effectively. How the learners conceptualized a MOOC had a strong impact on how they engaged with the contents. We discuss the implications of our results for MOOC practice in terms of time, openness and accessibility and provide recommendations for future research.
Despite the emergence of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and the field of MOOC research, we have a limited understanding of the specific needs of different learner groups and how MOOCs can successfully address those needs. Video lectures and demonstrations are a central learning component of MOOCs. This paper contributes to the research community by examining the use of MOOC videos for two groups of learners. In particular, we explore whether there is an observable difference between specialists' and non-specialists' video-watching activity. We analyse data collected from three MOOCs on the edX platform. Our findings indicate that while age and educational background impacts the level of video activity, there is no significant difference between specialists and non-specialists. We conclude that the MOOC format may be suited to non-specialist groups, allowing them to self-direct their learning and utilise videos as educational resources.
Abstract:This article aims at contributing to governance conceptualization and its application to case study analyses. Two of the challenges which the theoretical and empirical work in the article addresses concern the facilitation of comparability of diverse governance cases and a specification of several key mechanisms of governance formation and reform. A proposed model of the architecture of governance systems -their major components and inter-linkages -contributes, as argued and illustrated here, to greater comparability among cases and with the possibility of improved accumulation of knowledge about governance systems. These tools are applied to empirical cases of governance structure and their functioning and reformation. Baltic fisheries, a complex, multi-level case of commons governance, is considered in some detail in order to illustrate and elaborate the key factors of power, knowledge, and conflict in the functioning and transformation of governance systems. In addition to the Baltic fisheries case, we consider briefly for comparative purposes chemicals and gender relations as additional areas of EU governance. The paper is divided into four sections. Section I introduces the basic conceptualization and tools of analysis. Section II presents the case of Baltic fisheries. Section III elaborates the key concepts and tools presented in Section I, in particular considering additional cases of the functioning of governance systems. Section IV is a brief conclusion.
This paper is an empirical study of the role of science in environmental governance using a case study of the Baltic Sea fi sheries. In an attempt to encourage stronger participation in the European fi shery governance, the European Commission established the Baltic Sea Regional Advisory Council (BS RAC) in 2006. Conceptualized as a functionalistic and deliberative forum, the BS RAC consists of representatives of the fi shery sector and other interest groups and provides advice to the European Commission on fi shery matters. This paper examines how science and the scientifi c advice are perceived, interpreted and used by the stakeholders in the BS RAC. The scientifi c advice cannot overcome the confl ict between the different rationalities of, for example, nature conservationists and fi shery representatives. Unlike most environmental NGOs, fi shery representatives tend to show low levels of trust towards the scientifi c data and the resulting advice as well as scientists in general. As a consequence, science lies often in the centre of the debate, where one side uses the scientifi c advice as the foundation of its position while the other side points at scientifi c uncertainty and/or competing knowledge to promote its alternative.
We analyze the architecture and functioning of wolf governance in the European Union revealing some of the dynamics between biology conservation and social management. Comparing Germany, Galicia (Spain), Portugal and Sweden as illustrative examples the paper highlights important similarities and differences in the governance conceptualizations and architectures. In the second part, the article examines struggles and challenges to the EU's protective governance paradigm. Our findings indicate that active opposition to wolves becomes especially visible in Sweden and Germany, the two countries with the least number of wolves but their fairly recent re-appearance. We conclude that such opposition cannot be sufficiently explained by rationally grounded disadvantages due, for example, loss of farm animals caused by the large carnivores and/or insufficient compensation measures. We argue it's more accurate to assume a clash of paradigms, which have in themselves vaster ontological, epistemological, experiential and axiological issues and which, in turn, strongly shape opinions, values and attitudes.
Abstract:The flipped (or inverted) classroom model has gained increasing interest among university teachers in recent years. In the flipped classroom approach, students are encouraged to watch short video lectures as preparation for class, and classroom time is dedicated to more active forms of learning. In this editorial, we provide a thumbnail sketch of the origins and concept of the flipped classroom followed by a summary of the contributions to this special issue, which highlight the importance of considering a range of individual as well as contextual factors when implementing and evaluating the flipped classroom approach. Based on this observation, we propose and briefly discuss realist evaluation as a promising approach to evaluating educational interventions and for advancing our theoretical understanding of the flipped classroom. We argue that realist evaluation provides an analytical framework for posing the next generation of questions about the flipped classroom and we encourage scholars to address the questions: "How or why does the flipped classroom work, for whom, and in what circumstances?"
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