Fase 1 Análisis del Procedimiento

Beyond provider goals

Whereas the online survey was primarily used to examine user views and experiences in relation to the intended consequences of the MOOC movement, as espoused by the common goals of MOOC providers, the unintended consequences were chiefly measured through the observation of user interaction on official course forums. Both positive and negative unintended outcomes of MOOCs have been identified as a result of this observation.

POSITIVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

Despite positing themselves as academic enterprises equivalent to high-quality university-level courses, MOOCs certainly appealed to some users with distinctly non- academic aspirations. When asked about all of their reasons for participating in MOOCs, 539 survey respondents declared that they had motivations separate from the list of options presented, which had been intentionally designed to reflect provider goals. Among those who expressed ‘Other’ reasons (shown in Table 7.1), 7% of respondents said that their participation in MOOCs was to help them improve themselves, physically, emotionally or psychologically, in some capacity. Another 7% made specific reference to their participation being due to a desire to stimulate brain function and ward off dementia.

The official course forums demonstrated similar desires for improvement exclusive of academic achievement. For example, on Coursera and edX, certain psychology MOOCs were shown to be hubs for people expressing a need to better

understand and manage mental health and substance abuse issues, of their own or of someone they cared about. Likewise, nutrition courses were seen by many as an effective way to establish a plan for losing weight or realising a healthier diet. As one participant exclaimed:

I [started a] diet plan [one] year ago and I lost about 25kgs. Now I am 80kg and I am 165cm [in] height. But these [days], I can’t control my appetite and I always crave for sugars, chocolate and other processed food…how can I stop this? (Participant of Coursera’s Nutrition, Health and Lifestyle, 2014).

Students of Coursera’s psychology course, The Addicted Brain, taught by staff at Emory University, were equally candid about their reasons for enrolling. As one participant said:

I was hoping to gain some insight as well. I’m a recovering heroin/meth/cocaine addict. I chose to join this course because maybe I’ll learn something about myself and why I chose to pick up [drugs] in the first place (Participant of Coursera’s The Addicted Brain, 2014). Many other participants expressed similar reasons for enrolling. For instance:

Personally, I am an addict and I am currently in treatment for addiction so [I am] very interested in this course and how the brain works. I am going to learn as much as I can, but I also know I’m very new in recovery and this stuff is triggering. And I’m in treatment during the week, so I will not be able to listen and do everything, but I want to learn as much as I can and hopefully give my experience to others of what it is like to struggle with addiction. Once I get out of treatment, I will likely be more engaged and participate more in the course. I want to learn, but I also want to share my side as well (Participant of Coursera’s The Addicted Brain, 2014).

Motives for enrolment expressed by participants of The Science of Happiness, a psychology course offered on edX and taught by staff at the University of California, Berkeley, demonstrated similar candour. According to one participant:

It is nice to know that other people dealing with depression are participating in the class. I’ve experienced major depression too, as well as chronic low grade depression.…You [have] made another person feel more comfortable with this course. Thanks (Participant of edX’s The Science of Happiness, 2014).

Participants of this particular course also expressed explicit desires to better understand and manage their own mental health concerns, and to assist others to do the same. In one example, a participant said:

Amazing, to share this course with so many people around the world, and to see that most of them are really supportive of each other. Depression is a difficult thing to deal with, and I think it is hard for people who haven’t experienced it to understand it. I think of it as the equivalent of trying to run a marathon with a broken leg, while the crowd around you is cheering you on and encouraging you to win the race, unaware that your leg is broken. I wanted other people in the class who are experiencing/have experienced

depression to know that one other person knows how difficult it is (Participant of edX’s

The Science of Happiness, 2014).

This self-help trend was not so apparent in the Udacity forums, most likely due to the nature of the courses on offer, which were primarily computer and technology-based.

Table 7.1 All alternative reasons for survey respondents’ participation in MOOCs not previously specified (multiple category selection)

N % % of Cases

To learn new things 221 31.3 41.2

Out of curiosity/interest 98 13.9 18.2

Convenience of/preference for flexible online study mode 59 8.3 11.0

To update existing knowledge/skills 57 8.1 10.6

To stimulate/challenge brain function 39 5.5 7.3

Self-help 38 5.4 7.1

Professional development 37 5.2 6.9

For research purposes (including pedagogical) 27 3.8 5.0

Availability of courses not otherwise available locally 26 3.7 4.8

Preparation for future study 22 3.1 4.1

Requirement of university program 18 2.5 3.4

To socialise/gain global perspectives 14 2.0 2.6

Other 13 1.8 2.4

To develop language skills (especially in English) 12 1.7 2.2

To fill time 11 1.6 2.0

Restrictions on other forms of study (real or perceived) due to age 8 1.1 1.5

Homeschooling 4 .6 .7

The quality of instruction 3 .4 .6

Total 707 100.0 131.7

Peer support

As the selected quotes above demonstrate, many MOOC users have found solace in sharing experiences of previous hardship and the journey to enlightenment through MOOCs. Encouragement of others, to not put themselves down or give up and leave a course, was common to many of the MOOCs observed in this study, not only those based on health subjects. The supportive spirit found across courses from various academic fields has been captured well by this particular quote from a Coursera user:

I posted the original question in this thread. I was very encouraged to receive so many responses – and all of them were supportive and made very useful suggestions. I was very close to un-enrolling from the class when I posted it. After reading all the responses, I decided to hang in at least until I completed the first quiz. Well, on my second attempt I only missed one (about the number of gunmen), so I will continue with the class, work hard, and see how I do on the upcoming quizzes and graded assignments. Thanks to all of you for your responses – you never know how an encouraging post can really make a difference to another student. I hope to be as helpful and supportive to other students as you all were to me. Thanks again (Participant of Coursera’s Introduction to Forensic

As this comment indicates, the need to motivate others, and to emphasise the shared experience of learning in a MOOC, was particularly strong for some users. Another post from an edX user illustrates enthusiasm from the supporter’s perspective:

Learning and understanding the English Language is not easy. I think your efforts are great!! Good for you!!! Don’t hesitate to post something you are having a hard time understanding. Sometimes it is a matter of saying something a different way which may help you, and I am sure there are many people who would want to help you if you need it or anyone else who needs help. You are more than welcome to send me a private email anytime you want if you want to chat about certain materials. It is wonderful that we can all learn from parents and teachers from other countries. I am so excited to learn from you too (Participant of edX’s Positive Behavior Support in Early Childhood Education, 2014).

Words of encouragement in the face of self-doubt also served to unite users struggling with course content. One Coursera user was keen to make others feel a sense of solidarity in their learning efforts:

Don’t doubt your abilities! And certainly do not compare yourself to the superstar posters who seem to know everything. The knowledgeable people here sincerely DO want to help, but it’s human nature for them to want to show off a little. Believe me, there are plenty of students struggling with this course. You’re not alone (Participant of Coursera’s

Calculus: Single Variable, 2014).

Advice on how to proceed in times of difficulty was also common across courses and platforms. As one Coursera user noted, at the very least, struggling users could gain some personal satisfaction from their perseverance:

Stick with it if you possibly can – and ask lots of questions for the bits that are hard to understand – there is sure to be someone here who can answer the question, or give some useful guidance. And just think of the sense of achievement you will feel at the end of it! (Participant of Coursera’s Creative Programming for Digital Media and

Mobile Apps, 2014).

Like those engaging with edX and Coursera, participants in Udacity courses also praised fellow participants for their support and encouraged them to continue in their endeavours despite doubts about their abilities. The idea that people could be so invested and so willing to help each other, despite not having ever met or had physical contact with one another, was considered to be a very awe-inspiring phenomenon. One Udacity participant said that the urge to help others had become so great that they were able to overcome their own hesitance to provide feedback or answers to issues that they did not feel completely certain about. They had come to realise that in MOOCs, where the number of users far out-strips the number of teaching staff, any answer was better than no answer at all, if only to encourage others to persist in their learning efforts.

Valuing informal certificates and grades

Rather than being let down by the lack of credit in MOOCs, some users were shown to place a very high value on free, credit-less certificates and informal grades. As the survey data showed, just because the vast majority of MOOCs have not come with academic credit does not mean that people have felt that their efforts have gone unrecognised. Indeed, as Table 7.2 shows, most respondents disagreed that lack of credit equated to lack of recognition.

Table 7.2 Survey respondents’ perception that not receiving academic credit for MOOCs means they don’t get the recognition they deserve

N % Valid %

Valid Agree, not enough recognition without credit 700 31.9 32.5

Disagree, even without credit, there is

enough recognition

1,457 66.5 67.5

Total 2,157 98.4 100.0

Missing 34 1.6

Total 2,191 100.0

Many MOOC users viewed the opportunity to pursue an informal, credit-less certificate as recognition enough. It was a goal worth striving for and being proud of in its own right, regardless of its ties – or lack thereof – to formal qualifications. A dangling carrot on a stick was still a carrot, so to speak. One participant of Udacity’s Exploratory Data

Analysis course pointed out that the informal certificates helped provide a sense of

closure. As ‘something more ceremonial’ than an automated response to a specific question or an assessment task, these certificates stood as a marker of the long hours devoted to all the learning tasks put together. Even if they were only a symbolic gesture, being able to print the certificates at home provided an ‘illusion of formality’ and finality to the learning process. Although they may not ever mean anything to other people, certificates of completion or attainment have meant a lot to many learners, especially those enrolled because of curiosity about a subject. For these users, certificates have been like ‘giving some mental reward…to oneself’ (Participant of Coursera’s A Brief History of Humankind, 2014). According to one edX user, the free

certificates have effectively provided an individual measure of success and determination: For those who have come for knowledge, it doesn’t matter whether they get certificate or not. They will rise with [the] flowers. But [a] certificate does matter when you want to prove your knowledge and capability before a third person. I don’t believe that [a] mark (in the courses offered in edX at least) is a measure of intelligence, but I believe, [on] this platform, [a] mark is a measure of effort and interest! (Participant of edX’s Greatest

Without certificates, some users said they may not have bothered with MOOCs at all: Irrational as it may be, given that I have no possible use for the certificates (of which I have collected nearly a hundred in the last 18 months), the absence of a certificate already has me wondering whether to bother with the quizzes and exams but instead just ‘follow along’ and watch the videos. The problem is that I know that, without the spur of assessment, I am likely to not pay proper attention or even drop the course entirely. I know that this doesn’t really make sense when I am only studying to satisfy my interest in the subject, but whomever claimed humans were rational anyway? (Participant of Coursera’s A Brief History of Humankind, 2014).

Aside from the certificates that some courses have upon completion, many users have been shown to hold the informal grades they receive throughout MOOCs in high regard as well. As one Udacity user noted, people who have grown up in traditional educational settings have been taught to ‘crave validation’ through grades, by their parents, their teachers and their peers. While several users across Coursera, edX and Udacity have said that longing for good grades doesn’t entirely make sense in the context of un-accredited MOOCs, many said this kind of engrained behaviour has been difficult to overcome. One Udacity participant actually said that there should be no reason to have to overcome it, and that the need for external validation of one’s knowledge and efforts should not be disregarded since many people thrive on grades as motivation to learn. This attachment to grades was most clearly demonstrated on the forums by the strong criticisms expressed about peer-graded assignments. Some users, who felt a severe sense of injustice at the grades they received, demanded their work be re-graded to the standard they believed it deserved:

Never thought I would ever write this on any Coursera forum but I am troubled with the score received for my second assignment (23/40 [myself I gave 36/40], first assignment was 20/20). Two of the four peers were either negligent or lazy, since they refused to write any of the ten (but one) possible comments. I would assume that they were equally negligent or lazy [in] reading or trying to read it properly. The comments of the two other peers, who did a fair job with their comments and grading (positive as well as less positive comments [but I agreed with it]), back me up in this. Question is, can any of the staff members back up my end of the story or can they follow the two peers who gave me empty comments and possible un-credible grading? Thanks for looking into to this (Participant of Coursera’s

Terrorism and Counterterrorism, 2014).

Other users, such as the one quoted below, stressed the importance of grades more broadly. A good grade was regarded as important to recognise the effort involved in producing a particular assignment, but also the effort dedicated to an entire course:

I completed my assessment on Violence in the Media and got a 6/12, which I think is ridiculous. I want this to be re-graded … as this is addressed to the staff, please be the judge, as this means the difference between letter of accomplishment and one with distinction (Participant of Coursera’s Understanding Violence, 2014).

Some users were fairly calm in their requests for a re-grade. Others were far more distressed in their demeanour. Displays of frenetic concern only highlighted the strong levels of attachment to grades in MOOCs. For many, the desire was simply to achieve the highest grade possible, regardless of whether such grades led to a formal qualification or not:

I want to be [re]graded for my essay!! It seems to be a hacking trick. Someone mixed the essays and the evaluations of other essays. I am going to contact Coursera too. They must provide a security guarantee for the examinations. It is a matter of fairness. If something like that happened, we have to evaluate all papers again. Or we are going to let the people be evaluated with grades of others or evaluated by hackers? … I want to be fairly evaluated by real peers and not by hackers and receive the grade my essay really is worth! (Participant of Coursera’s Introduction to Environmental Law and Policy, 2014).

Strong attachment to grades has not gone unnoticed by course staff either:

I expected that most people taking online courses would be motivated by the ‘joy of learning’ that can be hard to find in a degree-driven classroom setting. It’s therefore surprised me that so many online students focus such attention on the homework grading and seem to feel deeply wronged by any shortcoming in the phrasing of questions and/or the grading of answers. Sadly, I’ve seen this in other classes too (Instructor for edX’s

Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of the Universe, 2014).

The observation from the forums that informal grades were very important to some MOOC users was further supported by the online survey data. As Table 7.3 shows, when asked about their view on lack of credit and grades, the majority (59%) of survey respondents indicated that lack of credit did not equate to lack of grade anxiety. Essentially, even though MOOCs did not contribute to formal qualifications, users were still worried about how well they performed in them.

Table 7.3 Survey respondents’ perception that lack of academic credit in MOOCs means they don’t have to worry about grades

N % Valid %

Valid Agree, lack of credit means I

don’t have to worry about grades in MOOCs

893 40.8 41.2

Disagree, even with lack of

credit, I still worry about grades in MOOCs

1,277 58.3 58.8

Total 2,170 99.0 100.0

Missing 21 1.0

Total 2,191 100.0

As Table 7.4 shows, although most survey respondents felt unaffected by the lack of credit (compared to lack of fees), 12% nonetheless found the lack of credit to be a

motivating factor behind their participation in MOOCs. Ultimately, the lack of credit has helped some people muster the confidence to try to learn something new.

Table 7.4 Survey respondents’ perception of lack academic credit in MOOCs with regards to motivation to participate

N % Valid %

Valid Lack of credit motivates me 258 11.8 11.9

Lack of credit doesn't really affect me 1,755 80.1 80.8

Lack of credit demotivates me 159 7.3 7.3