Look who’s talking: Exploring instructors’ contributions to Massive Open Online Courses

Abstract

Previous research on xMOOC pedagogy has established that learner interactions in discussion forums play a fundamental role in learning. However, little is known about the extent to which MOOC instructors engage with learner conversations and the impact this has on learner engagement. Adopting a novel design, this study went beyond self-reported methods, and combined transcript analysis and in-depth interviews to examine the dynamics of learner-instructor interactions and to revisit the use of the Community of Inquiry framework (CoI) in MOOC context. The findings revealed that the majority of instructors' contributions to learner conversations are social, followed by teaching and cognitive contributions. While all contribution types decreased over the duration of the MOOC, the relative importance of each type did not necessarily change. Furthermore, the analysis showed that learners engaged with 42% of instructor contributions by responding to or liking them or both. Considering the application of the CoI to massive and open online learning contexts, this study demonstrates that while the framework can unfold educational transactions in MOOCs, reoperationalisation and reconceptualisation of some indicators along with the introduction of new indicators are essential. The implications of this for theory and practice are discussed.

The Community of Inquiry perspective on students' social presence, cognitive presence, and academic performance in online project‐based learning

“…Although previous studies have reported that the use of vocatives was often found in teachers' facilitation in online asynchronous discussions and MOOC education (e.g. Evans et al, 2020; Goshtasbpour et al, 2020), research has also reported that online students used a lot of vocatives via online communication tools like Twitter (e.g. Baisley‐Nodine et al, 2018).…”

Exploring Factors Leading to Quality Online Learning in the Era of Covid-19: A Correlation Model Study

“…Development of online learning infrastructure created alternative learning environment for the students and to avoid disrupted education system (Kumar, 2019). Almost all the institutions have established online systems so that course contents could be deliver online and may engage students and conduct assessments in better way (Goshtasbpour et al, 2020;Safdar et al, 2018).…”

Twelve tips for engaging learners in online discussions

“…Summarising discussions and bringing them together at different points during a course are essential for building and communicating a shared understanding (Garrison 2017). Our study (Goshtasbpour et al 2020) shows that this occurs only rarely in large courses, and as a result, learners may not be provided with enough opportunities to recognise their misconceptions and confirm a shared understanding. Therefore, ensure that either you, or a learner, summarise the discussion.…”

“…In most cases, an educator's comment tends to end the discussion and reduce the opportunities for turn-taking and collaborative activities (Goshtasbpour et al 2020). Sometimes this is because learners have received the validation or information they sought from an educator, but it can also be due to the educator's move, i.e.…”

“…Our research (Goshtasbpour et al 2020) shows that educators' teaching activities focus largely on facilitating discussions (i.e. encouraging or acknowledging learner contributions; drawing in learners; prompting discussion; or trying to reach consensus/understanding).…”