Factors Associated with Student Enrollment, Completion, and Dropout of Massive Open Online Courses in the Sultanate of Oman

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the elements that influence learners' enrollment in, completion of and dropout from Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). MOOCs attract a vast number of participants, with enrollments growing at an unprecedented rate; however, only a small number of students who enroll, complete their study. In this research, data were collected from 79 participants using an online survey. Professional growth, flexible time, free of charge, and the opportunity to obtain certification were recognized as the four main factors that directly influenced student enrollment in MOOCs. The motivational variables revealed in this study that led to the effective completion of MOOCs included good-quality course videos, straightforward and clear tutor instructions, good course delivery, and useful instructor feedback, among others. The most prevalent reasons for dropout included failure to fulfil the deadline, the instructor's vocabulary, challenging assignments, and difficulty in grasping the course content. The findings of this study can provide educators and decision-makers with the information they need to better understand the factors that influence MOOC student enrollment, completion, and dropout rates, as well as relevant actions to improve the success rates of MOOC.

Student Employees’ Dropout Intentions: Work Excuse and University Social Capital as Source and Solution

“…In the literature (Bean, 1982;Casanova et al, 2018;Lombardi et al, 2019;Spady, 1970;Tinto, 1987), models highlighting the various reasons that can lead to a student leaving an educational institution are available. Many factors, including classroom management and teacher-student relationships, missed deadlines, tough instructors, overly complex assignments, and a lack of understanding of the course material, have been investigated in an effort to better understand why some students struggle with and eventually abandon their education (Kuh et al, 2006;Longden, 2004;Obispo et al, 2021;Sherimon et al, 2021). The literature reviewed here examined the issue of student attrition from the perspective of social structures and forces, including the student's university environment, family background, early socialisation mechanisms, and the encouragement and backing they receive from friends, family, and institutions.…”

A Conceptual Persuasive Development Framework to Change Students’ Behaviour in Massive Open Online Courses: A Review

“…The pedagogy of MOOC-based e-learning systems differ from standard elearning systems because of the high number of users since students are more independent in their learning due to a very high lecturer-to-student ratio (Nordin et al, 2016). Other than that, the inability to meet the deadline, the instructor's language, challenging assignments, and difficulties understanding the course topic are common causes of dropout (Sherimon et al, 2021). Considering that effective study behaviors in MOOCs contribute to students' performance, an increasing number of studies explore self-regulated learning strategies that influence the success of MOOCs (Lee et al, 2020).…”