Although MOOCs platforms offer a unique way to provide information for a large cohort of participants, only a small percentage of participants complete MOOCs. The high number of dropouts in MOOCs is a key challenge, and the literature suggests that it can be affected by participants' motivation. However, it is not known how and to what extent motivation influences participants’ dropout in MOOCs. There is a need to provide an overview of the role of motivation in MOOCs’ retention. In this study, we aimed to identify motivational factors and theories that affect participants’ retention in MOOCs and explain how does motivation supports participants to complete MOOCs. To do so, a systematic review was conducted using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria and a set of relevant keywords and databases which resulted in 50 relevant publications. Our analysis led us to identify six main motivational factors that influence participants’ MOOCs completion including academic, social, course, personal, professional, and technological motives. These factors were divided into two main categories including need-based motivation and interest-based motivation. The results showed that academic motives play the most important role in participants’ MOOCs retention compared to the other factors. It was also found that self-determination theory was used as the most dominant theory to support participants’ motivation for MOOCs completion. In addition, the results revealed that the motivational factors not only impacts participants’ MOOCs retention directly, but also this impact is mediated by participant satisfaction, self-regulation, attitude toward using MOOCs, performance, engagement, and level of participation. Based on the results, further implications for practice and future research are provided.

So far, the synergistic relationship between learning design and learning analytics and its impact on learners' educational practices have been investigated. However, little work has been done to show how integrated learning design based on constructivism learning theory and learning analytics can affect learners' engagement and self-regulation. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of the Constructivist Learning Design and Learning Analytics (CLDLA) Model on learners' engagement and self-regulation. In this experimental study, 50 graduate students at Iranian' Allameh Tabataba'i University were asked to participate in a Moodle course called "Teaching Skills" and fill out Agentic Engagement Scale and Self-Regulation Questionnaires in two steps as a pre-test and posttest measurements. Analysis of the data indicated that the CLDLA model has a positive impact on learners' engagement and selfregulation. Based on the results, recommendations for further research and educational practices are suggested.

This study investigates the effects of a developed MOOC based on Merrill's principles of instruction on participants' learning outcomes and satisfaction. A pre-test-post-test with a control group design was used in this study. In total, 335 participants were assigned into experimental (using Merrill's principles of instruction) and control group (using the conventional method). However, 291 subjects (143 participants from the experimental and 148 participants from the control group condition) remained in the course up to the last session, and only 200 participants (100 participants per each condition) filled in the surveys. The results were in favour of participants in the experimental condition both in terms of learning and satisfaction compared to the participants in the control group condition. By implementing Merrill's principles of instruction in designing MOOCs and actively engaging participants in a problemcentred learning process, their learning outcomes and satisfaction can be further improved.

Introduction: Team-based learning is one of the methods concerned in medical education. Teaching and learning have some principles known as Merrill's first principles that are a basis for effective education. This study examined the effect of using team-based learning combined with Merrill's Principles on achieving learning objectives in nursing students. Methods: This was a semi-experimental, applied research that used pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all undergraduate students of Ardebil University of Medical Sciences, Meshkin Shahr campus, in 2015-2016. The sample group comprised a class of nursing students selected by convenience sampling method (n = 47). The subjects were divided into two groups of control (n = 23) and test (n = 24) using simple random allocation. A pretest was given to both groups prior to the implementation of the training. Then, the intended plan was executed for 5 weeks and at the end, a posttest was administered. The data were analyzed by applying covariance analysis test using SPSS version 20. Results: The results showed that the learning objectives scores in the test group increased from 2.68 and 1.31 to 17.83 and 12.16 for remembrance and application levels, respectively, while the increments were not significant in the control group. In other words, there was a significant difference in the achievement of learning objectives between the test and control groups (P < 0.001), implying that the test group had better learning. Conclusions: By using team-based learning combined with Merrill's First Principles, we can improve learning objectives achievements.

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