Abstract
Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platforms capture the digital traces of millions of learners and generate an avalanche of “numbers” on learner behavior in MOOCs. Yet little is known about the dynamics through which MOOCs can support individual learning as the cognitive and social constituents of this complex process and their interplay within this process do not clearly surface in this large mass of “numbers”. This study analyzed the content generated by learners in a MOOC discussion forum with a particular focus on the still under-explored cognitive dimension of learning in MOOCs and demonstrated how certain levels of cognitive engagement relate to learning. It further examined the interplay between the cognitive and social aspects, revealing the moderating role of the social aspect in the association between the lowest level of cognitive engagement and learning in a MOOC environment. The study concludes with discussing the theoretical and practical implications of the findings and with highlighting the need to consider the interdependencies between the cognitive and social variables and learning when designing and evaluating MOOCs.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 104133 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-10 |
| Journal | Computers and Education |
| Volume | 165 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 2021 |
Bibliographical note
DBLP License: DBLP's bibliographic metadata records provided through http://dblp.org/ are distributed under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Although the bibliographic metadata records are provided consistent with CC0 1.0 Dedication, the content described by the metadata records is not. Content may be subject to copyright, rights of privacy, rights of publicity and other restrictions.Keywords
- Content analysis
- Course performance
- Interplay of cognitive and social aspects
- MOOC discussion forums