Investigating the characteristics of MOOCs according to eight critical dimensions: A case study

Abstract

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have been a popular trend in the online learning landscape. However, MOOC learners have expressed their dissatisfaction with the courses or problems with course management. To develop a widely accepted MOOC, the main aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics of MOOCs by using eight themes: learning outcomes, affective elements, behaviours, design, technology elements, pedagogy, presence and institutional environment. Using the case study approach, we explored the practices of four MOOCs in an Excel specialisation by using student unsolicited feedback, the literature and the analysis of the MOOCs by researchers. We analysed the learners’ posts on the official forums with auto-code sentiment and text search functions in Nvivo 12 Plus. The results of this study showed that high-rated MOOCs had approximately 74.7% of positive sentiments on discussion forums, with 1.2% negative and 24.1% neutral. The results indicated that MOOCs helped learners improve their level of knowledge in the subject area. Teachers/instructors also play a very significant role, and they have to provide clear explanations in different concepts. To conclude, this study intends to offer guidelines to researchers, educators, and MOOC designers to create successful MOOCs by focusing on the eight dimensions.