Massive open online courses and consumer goals

Abstract

Massive open online courses (MOOCS) are increasingly used by higher education providers to promote their fee‐paying courses. But while multiple studies have examined the reasons why individuals enrol into MOOCs, little is understood about the effects of course engagement on their later educational goals. The current work addresses this gap by investigating the impact of MOOC engagement on participants’ future study goals and educational brand choices. This research uses a mixed methods approach to examine the goals and selection preferences of students following their engagement with a MOOC. This is accomplished through two separate longitudinal studies of MOOC participants. The first study consists of two sets of individual interviews (pre and post‐MOOC). The second involves the use of pre‐ and post MOOC surveys of participants enroled into courses on project management and cyber security. The findings show that engagement with a MOOC can positively influence the future academic goals of students, as well as their choice of academic provider. These results highlight the marketing potential of Massive Open Online Courses as a pathway into higher education. The goal framework used in this study is also likely to have broader applicability for understanding goal‐oriented behaviour in other consumer domains.

Exploratory Students’ Behavior towards Massive Open Online Courses: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

“…Consistent with the aims and conceptualization of our study, the functionalist view of interactivity is considered an important source that determines learner satisfaction with MOOCs [39]. According to [31], functionalist interactivity is defined as:…”

“…For any course designer to enhance vividness, many factors should be considered. The course content vividness is conceptualized as "the degree to which a course's presentation is rich and attracts students' attention; teachers' subject knowledge is defined as the degree to which students perceive a teacher to have mastered a subject" [31]. The richness of course content and the expertise of the course instructor may convey persuasive cues to the future learner about the course, and such richness may lead to significant satisfaction.…”

“…In the recent literature, for example, Ref. [31] have conceptualized MOOCs' interactivity into two main types: the functional view and the contingency view. The functionalist view concerns the platform's interactivity with which a course is offered.…”

“…The research also theorized that course content vividness which is "the degree to which a course's presentation is rich and attracts students' attention" [31], generates significant satisfaction with MOOCs and has been accepted based upon p = 0.000. Thus, it is concluded that the rich content of the course, which includes a diverse range of material from audio and videos to written material, will help learners to develop satisfaction (by β = 0.269).…”

Discourse to the Factors of Decision-making of Students in Choosing a University Major

“…Practical implications for marketing management of educational services are also described in the study, which could facilitate cross-country comparisons of educational marketing management systems. Howarth et al (2021) conducted a mixed methods study to explore the relationship between MOOCs and consumer preferences in selecting an educational institution and to identify the aims and preferences of students. Additionally, universities and colleges may offer a range of services and develop their brand, such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which have gained widespread popularity in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.…”