by Daphne Koller, Andrew Ng, Chuong Do, and Zhenghao Chen; EDUCAUSE Review
We believe that retention in MOOCs should be evaluated within the context of learner intent, especially considering the varied backgrounds and motivations of students who choose to enroll. When viewed in the appropriate context, retention in MOOCs is often quite reasonable. The vast majority of students who enroll in traditional university classes enter with the explicit intent of earning a credential. MOOCs, however, cater to a substantially more diverse audience. For MOOC retention metrics to be useful, they thus must be defined and interpreted with the learner’s goals in mind. Passive lecture-watchers, for example, may go through an entire course without ever touching an assessment, yet they often derive substantial value from a MOOC without contributing to completion-based notions of retention.
http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/retention-and-intention-massive-open-online-courses
Share on Facebook