Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have gained great popularity during a relatively short time frame. Yet, measuring MOOC learner success has been fairly challenging. The development of technology and scale of online education considerably outpace efforts to evaluate and understand how well it is succeeding at improving outcomes. As a response and after reviewing current literature and relevant theories, in this dissertation, three research directions have been identified, as critical steps toward better understanding MOOC success: 1.How does a learner’s motivation influence their outcomes? 2. How does a learner’s motivation influence their performance and engagement within a MOOC? 3. How does a learner’s performance and engagement within the course influence their outcomes? Given these three research questions, three studies have been conducted to analyze both MOOC learner motivation and learning activities via taking into account learner data before, during, and after taking a MOOC. This research considers success at two stages: during the course itself (course completion), and the student’s post-course career development. The results of Study 1 showed that course completers tend to be more interested in the course content, whereas non-completers tend to be more interested in MOOCs as a type of learning experience. Learners who complete the course tend to have more self-efficacy for their ability to complete the course, from the beginning. Grit and goal orientation are associated with course completion, with grit predicting course completion independently from intention to complete, and with comparable strength. Study 2 investigated 5 behavioral thresholds in addition to just looking at course completion alone and looked into how each of the 5 types may link to the different motivational aspects included in the pre-course survey. The results indicated that emerging patterns unique to the MOOC environment could be related to various learning needs that require engagement with the course materials on varied levels. For example, skipping introductory videos might relate to learners intention of focusing on a sub-set of the course materials. Results of Study 3 showed that career advancers earn better scores and are more likely to complete the course. Career advancers also engaged more frequently with all key course components such as course pages, lecture videos, assignment submissions, and discussion forums. However, when further examining interaction behaviors within discussion forums, advancers tend to be forum lurkers who frequently read the forums but were less likely to post, comment, or vote. The results of these studies can increase our understanding of MOOC learner success and help inform a framework that evaluates a MOOC learner’s success in a comprehensive way.

With the application of work-based learning theory and cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) via qualitative research methods, this study considered the reported learning experiences of a group of multidisciplinary practitioners who employed the edX platform in the delivery of massive open online courses (MOOC) for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This exploratory case study focused on a pioneering MOOC program, established in 2014 at the Hemispheric Development Fund (fictional organization name) for offering professional development opportunities to the LAC region. Using interviews, observation, and document analysis, it identified the kinds of knowledge, skills, or behaviors, as well as the multidisciplinary collaborations and organizational conditions that participants considered critical for the successful performance of their work activities. The study included 20 participants, divided evenly among 4 subject matter experts, 4 instructional designers, 4 media producers, 4 platform technicians, and 4 administrative assistants. The study was based on the premise that improving our understanding of the work activities and related learning experiences among participants may benefit the training of future practitioners and organizations interested in the multidisciplinary design of edX MOOCs for LAC and, thus, may contribute to the improved adoption of the edX MOOC platform for developing regions. Through the iterative modeling and analysis of activity systems, as well as illuminating the significant incidents and systemic tensions reported by participants as potential triggers for their learning, four key findings emerged: 1) The totality of participants described experiences of work-based learning as they engaged in activities of value production during the MOOC design cycle; 2) Developing practical knowledge in the preparation and administration of educational resources or learning activities, and mastering effective communication skills enabled participants to excel in the performance of their work activities; 3) The need for improving organizational processes was cited as the most essential contextual condition impacting participants’ work performance; and 4) A majority of participants expected future learning pressures at work in response to constant changes with the technological tools they employ for doing their jobs.

Disruptive innovations are used to lower costs and augment access to high-quality, affordable higher education, but little systematic research is available on the topic. Higher education institutions use disruptive innovations to save students time and money. To understand the process of disruptive innovation, I investigated the rapid diffusion of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which are free or low-cost college courses available online. Specifically, I examined the drivers of disruptive innovation over time and by institution type, and augmented the existing theory on the diffusion of disruptive innovation in higher education. The key for this systematic study was to have a dataset that encompassed a large sample of adopters and non-adopters. I constructed a new dataset merging 4 years of IPEDS data with MOOC data (n = 1,470). Analytically, I used competing drivers of institutional change, specifically prestige-seeking versus economic competition, to investigate rate and drivers of adoption, how drivers varied over time, and which institutions were most and least likely to innovate. I employed time-series inferential statistics, specifically discrete time hazard modeling (DTHM), and latent class analysis (LCA), as well as descriptive statistics. Three research questions guided this dissertation. 1. When is MOOC adoption most likely? How does prestige-seeking behavior compared to economic competition influence the adoption of MOOCs? 2. Does partnership with a for-profit versus nonprofit provider differ by prestige-seeking behavior or economic competition? Do these partnerships change over time? 3. To what extent does a typology of institutional innovators based on prestige-seeking behavior and economic competition exist? To what extent does this typology of innovators relate to MOOC adoption? How does the adoption of innovation by institutional subgroup vary over time? The findings suggested that rate of adoption, at its height, was a little over 3% in academic year 2013, 2 years after the launch of MOOCs. Both prestige-seeking behavior and economic competition were important predictors of innovation, although institutions most likely to innovate were very prestigious and strategic about the markets they chose for competition. Specifically, the most likely adopters of disruptive innovation were highly competitive in distance education and in pursuing private grants and contracts from industry, but often did not cut costs (e.g., replacing full-time faculty with adjuncts or expanding managerial capacity) to streamline affairs on campus or manage market expansion. By contrast, institutions that did not innovate often exhibited the opposite characteristics. Finally, because the first two results suggested different adopters, I found five different types of institutional innovators (Accelerators, Wealth Managers, Pragmatists, Opportunists, and Laggards). Approximately 15% of colleges were Accelerators (primed to be disruptive innovators), while the rest were characterized by limited motivate to change or limited institutional capacity to innovate.

Le système éducatif supérieur au Maroc se base sur la formation traditionnelle en présentiel. Les apprenants sont obligés d’être présents à toutes les séances de cours et pendant toute leur formation. Actuellement, avec la mise à disposition de cours en ligne, comme les MOOC (Massive open online courses), et l’apparition des plateformes de gestion de contenus pédagogiques ou LMS (Learning management content) comme Moodle, de nombreux cours sont accessibles gratuitement en ligne pour les apprenants. Le suivi des cours à distance, pourrait être une solution au problème de la massification de l’enseignement supérieur au Maroc, contribuer à l’amélioration du niveau, améliorer la motivation et à l’implication des apprenants à l’utilisation des TICE (Technologies de l’information et de la communication pour l’éducation). Notre recherche vise à évaluer différentes situations d’apprentissage hybride (présentiel et à distance) pour des apprenants universitaires marocains en cohérence avec un cadre théorique qui s’inspire principalement de la théorie de l’activité. Pour concrétiser nos travaux de recherche, nous avons réalisé trois expériences de formation hybride ayant recours à des MOOC. Ces expériences ont été réalisées avec quelques modules de formations universitaires dans le cadre de formations supérieures relevant du secteur public et du secteur privé. L’objectif de ces expériences était d’évaluer la motivation, la satisfaction et l’appropriation de cette nouvelle approche technopédagogique et d’émettre des recommandations aux différents acteurs (apprenants, enseignants, établissements) sur l’intégration de formations hybrides dans l’enseignement supérieur au Maroc. / The higher education system in Morocco has long been based on traditional face-to-face training. Learners are required to attend all courses sessions throughout their training. At the present time, with the availability of online courses such as MOOC (Massive Open online courses), and the appearance of LMS (Learning management content) platforms like Moodle, several courses in particular and training in general are available free of charge online. The follow-up of distance courses could be a solution to the problem of the massification of higher education in Morocco, contribute to improving the level, improve the motivation and involvement of learners in the use of ICT4E (Information and Communication Technologies for Education). Our research aims to evaluate different hybrid learning situations (face-to-face and distance learning) for Moroccan university learners in coherence with a theoretical framework that is mainly inspired by the activity theory. To concretize our research, we carried out three experiments of hybrid training using MOOC. These experiments were carried out with some university training modules as part of higher education courses in the public and private sectors. The objective of these experiments was to evaluate the motivation, satisfaction and appropriation of this new techno-pedagogical approach and to issue recommendations to the various actors (learners, teachers, institutions) on the integration of hybrid training in higher education in Morocco.

Open online courses provide a unique opportunity to examine learner preferences in an environment that removes several pressures associated with traditional learning. This mixed methods study sought to examine the pathways that learners will create for themselves when given the choice between an instructor-directed modality and learner-directed modality. Study participants were first examined based on their levels of self-regulated learning. Follow-up qualitative interviews were conducted to examine the choices that participants made, the impact of the course design on those choices, and what role self-regulation played in the process. The resulting analysis revealed that participants desired an overall learning experience that was tailored to personal learning preferences, but that technical and design limitations can create barriers in the learning experience. The results from this research can help shape future instructional design efforts that wish to increase learner agency and choice in the educational process.

Distance education is, by its very nature, a response to the development of communications technology in the Industrial Era, coupled with the societal changes initiated by these developments (Garrison and Cleveland-Innes, 2010: 14). The current distance learning landscape is thus shaped by changing social needs brought about by the impact of advancements in technology. This case study investigates the effectiveness of new aspects of digital learning tools as additional resources in the TEFLA course, a Short Learning Programme (SLP), offered by UNISA. These aspects of digital course delivery introduce e-learning by incorporating synchronous and asynchronous digital teaching and learning tools, in the shape of MOOCs (asynchronous learning), as well as webinars (synchronous learning). This study reviews the effectiveness of these online tools in enhancing the learning experience of TEFLA students. The theoretical framework that informs this study is based on the connectivism and socio-cultural theories of knowledge acquisition. / English Studies / M.A. (English)