Moving through MOOCs: Pedagogy, Learning and Patterns of Engagement. Presentation at EC-TEL 2015, September, 2015, Toledo, Spain. [This is the shorter, more visual version. The detailed version is available at http://www.slideshare.net/R3beccaF/moving-through-moocs-pedagogy-learning-and-patterns-of-engagement.] Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are part of the lifelong learning experience of people worldwide. Many of these learners participate fully. However, the high levels of dropout on most of these courses are a cause for concern. Previous studies have suggested that there are patterns of engagement within MOOCs that vary according to the pedagogy employed. The current paper builds on this work and examines MOOCs from different providers that have been offered on the FutureLearn platform. A cluster analysis of these MOOCs shows that engagement patterns are related to pedagogy and course duration. Learners did not work through a three-week MOOC in the same ways that learners work through the first three weeks of an eight-week MOOC.

1. Moving through MOOCs: Pedagogy,
Learning and Patterns of Engagement
Rebecca Ferguson, Doug Clow (OU)
Russell Beale, Alison J Cooper (Birmingham)
Neil Morris (Leeds)
Siân Bayne, Amy Woodgate (Edinburgh)

2. 2
These slides:
http://bit.ly/1FfQ5y4
Detailed slides:
http://bit.ly/1UVCZgI
Photo: Rebecca Ferguson

3. 3
Have you:
• Seen a MOOC?
• Completed a MOOC?
• … on more than one platform?
• … on more than three platforms?
Photo (CC)-BY-NC-ND Peter Nijenhuis https://flic.kr/p/czhGbq

4. 4
https://www.coursera.org/course/pgm

5. 5Scottish Independence Referendum, 19 Sep 2015
Photo © Time http://time.com/3400609/scotland-votes-to-stay-the-same-and-for-change/

6. 6

7. 7
Coursera study:
• Sampling
• Auditing
• Disengaging
• Completing
Photo CC-BY Albert Bridge http://www.geograph.ie/photo/2927355
OU study:
1. Samplers
2. Strong Starters
3. Returners
4. Mid-way Dropouts
5. Nearly There
6. Later Completers
7. Keen Completers
This study:
• More universities
• More MOOCs
• More clusters

8. 8Galaxy cluster Abell 1758,
(CC) BY-NC NASA Marshall Space Flight Center https://flic.kr/p/8wFrUX
Code weekly
behaviour
Cluster analysis
(k-means)

9. 9
Phase three: suitable values for k
TalkMOOC3: k=3
Phase three
Quiet (1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0)
● The largest cluster
● Visit a quarter of course
steps
● Do not comment in first
week
● Only 7% comment at all
● Only 9% engage with
second half of course
Contributors (3, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0)
● 19% of cohort
● Visit 38% of course
steps
● Every cluster member
posts in first week of
course
● Half do not comment
again
Consistent engagers
(3, 3, 3, 3, 1, 1)
● 11% of cohort
● Visit 82% of course steps
● Engage throughout course
● Every cluster member posts
a comment
● 95% contribute more than
three comments
● 7% contribute more than
100 comments

10. 10
Phase three: suitable values for k
ShortMOOC4: k=4
Phase three
Very weak starters (2, 1, 0)
● The largest cluster
● Visit 20% of steps
● 20% do not engage in
first week
Strong starters (truncated)
(10, 1, 0)
● 17% of cohort
● Submit week 1 assessment
● Do not submit another
assessment
● Almost half post comment
Returners (truncated)
(3, 3, 1)
● Most submit week 1
assessment
● All submit week 2
assessment
● Half submit
at least one
comment
Keen completers
(truncated) (9, 9, 9)
● Visit more than 90% of
steps
● Submit work on time
● Engage throughout

11. 11
Phase three: suitable values for k
ShortMOOC5: k=5
Phase three
Samplers (truncated)
(1, 0, 0)
● Visit few steps
● Includes many latecomers
(>25%)
● Very few submit
assessment
Strong starters (truncated)
(9, 1, 0)
● Submit week 1 assessment
● Do not submit another
assessment
Returners (truncated)
(8, 8, 2)
● Most submit week 1
assessment
● All submit week 2
assessment
Keen completers
(truncated) (9, 9, 9)
● Visit more than 90% of
steps
● Submit work on time
● Engage throughout
Improvers (5, 6, 9)
● Activity increases each
week
● Final assessment submitte
on time

12. 12“Sweep it under the carpet”, Banksy, Hoxton
Photo szater https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Banksy_-_Sweep_at_Hoxton.jpg

13. 13
Photo (CC)-BY-SA Grace Kat https://flic.kr/p/9A4iTn

14. 14
Rebecca Ferguson @R3beccaF
Doug Clow @dougclow
These slides:
http://bit.ly/1FfQ5y4
Detailed slides:
http://bit.ly/1UVCZgI