Certificate Achievement Unlocked

How Does MOOC Learners' Behaviour Change?

Conference paper (2017)

Authors

Y. Zhao Web Information Systems - EEMCS
D.J. Davis Web Information Systems - EEMCS
G. Chen Web Information Systems - EEMCS
C. Lofi Web Information Systems - EEMCS
C. Hauff Web Information Systems - EEMCS
G.J.P.M. Houben Web Information Systems - EEMCS
Research Group
Web Information Systems (EEMCS) (TU Delft)
MOOCs Learning Analytics CertiĀ€cate Achievement
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Published Date

2017

Language

English

Reuse Rights

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Faculty

Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science

Department

Software Technology

Research Group

Web Information Systems

Abstract

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) play an ever more central role in open education. However, in contrast to traditional classroom settings, many aspects of learners' behaviour in MOOCs are not well researched. In this work, we focus on modelling learner behaviour in the context of continuous assessments with completion certificates, the most common assessment setup in MOOCs today. Here, learners can obtain a completion certificate once they obtain a required minimal score (typically somewhere between 50-70%) in tests distributed throughout the duration of a MOOC. In this setting, the course material or tests provided after "passing" do not contribute to earning the certificate (which is ungraded), thus potentially affecting learners' behaviour. Therefore, we explore how ``passing'' impacts MOOC learners: do learners alter their behaviour after this point? And if so how? While in traditional classroom-based learning the role of assessment and its influence on learning behaviour has been well-established, we are among the first to provide answers to these questions in the context of MOOCs.