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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 7 September 2020

Arshia Ayoub, Raashida Amin and Zahid Ashraf Wani

The recent spate of eminence received by the MOOCs (massive open online courses) from media to academia is revolutionary in higher education. MOOCs are a disruptive technological…

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Abstract

Purpose

The recent spate of eminence received by the MOOCs (massive open online courses) from media to academia is revolutionary in higher education. MOOCs are a disruptive technological innovation which offers open learning with the aid of the internet and delivered by the faculty of reputed institutions, globally. Since Coursera being one such significant platform, its exploration would display the broader picture of MOOCs. As a result, studying it from various dynamics has been the motive of the current endeavour.

Design/methodology/approach

The quantitative study of the collected data was applied with help of descriptive research methodology to measure the contribution of the top six countries namely US, China, Japan, Germany, India and UK. All these six countries were selected on the basis of GDP (harvested from official website World Bank – data.worldbank.org/ to Coursera––an online platform providing MOOCs. The involvement of these selected countries was gauged (from the official website of Coursera https://www.coursera.org/) in terms of number, type of contributing institutions, number of courses offered by those institutions, type of courses offered, number of instructors and instructor gender ratio.

Findings

The findings reveal that the United States (US) is the top contributor in terms of partner institutes (97), courses (Specialization courses – 1,267 and degree courses– 40) and number of instructors (1,290). Interestingly, it was also observed that universities are the major contributor institutes in all six studied countries. Most of the institutes provide specialization courses while a very few provide degree courses. A large number of instructors are involved for imparting these courses online. Instructor gender ratio on average is 2:1 (male: female). It was also observed that there is usually a specific common time of starting courses on Coursera.

Originality/value

Online platforms are the main delivery points for MOOCs; therefore, vibrancy and articulacy of such platforms make this innovation a success, and examining such a platform which exhibits such characteristics would present an overall picture of its functionality, development, evolution and future expansion of the innovation (MOOCs).

Details

Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1858-3431

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2022

Amanpreet Kaur, Ritu Sharma, Sarita Gulati and Rupak Chakravarty

In distance education, massive open online courses (MOOCs) are recent innovative approaches, which strive to provide learning content to all the participants without any…

202

Abstract

Purpose

In distance education, massive open online courses (MOOCs) are recent innovative approaches, which strive to provide learning content to all the participants without any demographic-related barriers. The purpose of this research is to analyse and evaluate the popularity of two MOOCs platforms, Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM) and Coursera, on an android app by pursuing the paradigm of mobile analytics and deep learning.

Design/methodology/approach

The analytics are performed by using the Web application AppFollow (AppFollow.io), which captured, monitored, measured and analysed the app review results.

Findings

The findings of the paper suggest MOOCs designers should consider sentiment analysis to check and evaluate users’ ratings and feedback to improvise its design.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of the study will provide the necessary inputs and feedbacks to the app developers to understand the users’ problems, users’ perspectives and users’ requirement in a scientific and precise way. By removing the bugs and incorporating the value-added features, the MOOC platforms will become more productive and beneficial in terms of knowledge sharing, skill development and capacity building.

Originality/value

This research is novel in getting an insight into the behaviour of users towards usage of SWAYAM and Coursera apps on Android platforms through the AppFollow software and provides valuable results for the app developers in monitoring the feedbacks to enhancing the features for the satisfaction of users. The present analysis is expected to provide a benchmark for future research in this domain.

Details

Library Hi Tech News, vol. 39 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0741-9058

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 19 December 2013

Anthony F. Camilleri and Anne-Christin Tannhäuser

Open Courseware, in many ways, was the starting point towards mainstream discussion and adoption of open learning, particularly in higher education. In its first iteration, the…

Abstract

Open Courseware, in many ways, was the starting point towards mainstream discussion and adoption of open learning, particularly in higher education. In its first iteration, the concept specifically excluded assessment recognition, and credentialisation, which aims to ‘liberate’ knowledge without shattering the designing, teaching and awarding processes traditional education has relied upon for decades, if not centuries.

Details

Openness and Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-685-9

Keywords

Case study
Publication date: 14 February 2020

Alya Ateeq Al Remeithi and Syed Zamberi Ahmad

This case study focuses on change management and employee resistance when implementing a new initiative. The case may be helpful to students to clarify their understanding of the…

Abstract

Learning outcomes

This case study focuses on change management and employee resistance when implementing a new initiative. The case may be helpful to students to clarify their understanding of the following: the importance of employee involvement in the change management process in the government sector. Understand how to help employees to deal with change more effectively, maintaining their commitment and bringing them successfully through the change. Understand the importance of communication during the change process. Successful approaches used when implementing change, such as the Lewin model and Kotter 8. The obstacles to change, including resistance and adverse reactions to change and connecting employees, as well as the causes of resistance when implementing a change.

Case overview/synopsis

The Crown Prince’s Court is an independent government entity established in 1971, providing support to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi with the help of almost 300 employees. The Training and Career Development subsection headed by Sumaya Al Saedi decided to initiate an online training and development program for employees. Given that national service, maternity leave and emergency leave had led to working pressure and less training and development for the employees, Sumaya and her team realized that few employees were registering for the course and few of those that did register actually completed their course. Several causes were identified that had led to employees avoiding the online courses. Work pressure and technical issues were among the most salient reasons that kept registered employees from completing the course. The lack of policies at an institutional level to aid changes in training structures reduced the number of employees who felt that they could register for the courses. Therefore, Sumaya and her team had to decide how to attract their employees to online courses and how to support them.

Complexity academic level

This case study was written for Change Management courses in Bachelor of Business Administration programs. This case examines employee resistance to change when implementing a new system. It can, therefore, be used for undergraduate-level courses. As it concerns employees during the implementation of changes, this case study can be used to help students develop their planning and implementation skills. By focusing on internal departmental challenges, students are introduced to the change process of implementing an initiative and how to deal with employees in the organization.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

Article
Publication date: 2 December 2019

Kutty Kumar

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are a currently trending e-learning platform that presumably attract thousands of participants because of boundless participation, are open to…

Abstract

Purpose

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are a currently trending e-learning platform that presumably attract thousands of participants because of boundless participation, are open to any person to enroll, are free to begin and are delivered completely online, thus contradicting the spatial limitations of a traditional classroom. This study aims to present the findings of a study among veterinary science students examining their perceptions of MOOCs. In total, 200 participants were randomly selected for the survey, out of which 177 responded, owing to a response rate of 88.7 per cent. Majority of the respondents (93 per cent) opined MOOCs supplement other learning methods and provide lifelong opportunity. A study report established that Coursera is the largest platform by user base (82 per cent), followed by Udemy (70 per cent), and 65 per cent knowledge seekers ranted the enormous propaganda about MOOCs are not because of the technology’s inherent edifying value, but because of the incredible potentials of lower costs. The participants in this survey valued their course and overall MOOC experience pleasing.

Design/methodology/approach

The aim of the study is to explore veterinary students’ perception of MOOCs featuring in their subject of interest. The questionnaire was written in English because it is the teaching language for undergraduates and postgraduates in most Indian higher education institutes, including the one used as a context for this study. The online questionnaires were electronically mailed to a sample of veterinary students (undergraduate and postgraduate) with a consent form seeking their permission for participation in this study and swearing them the confidentiality of their responses. The e-mail included information about the purpose of the study as well as the URL to the survey site, demographic questions on age, gender and education. This part was followed by an important research question asking if the student had heard about the new open online educational system (MOOCs) provided in websites, including Coursera, Edx, Udacity and FutureLearn, among others. Based on respondents’ answers, they were directed to different sections. Students who knew about MOOCs were asked various mode of getting enrolled in MOOCs. If they were not enrolled in any course, the respondents were asked about the limitations to their use. Enrolled students were questioned on their perspectives and experiences with MOOCs. For students who gained certificates, were enquired for their level of satisfaction, opinions about the integration of MOOCs into the veterinary field and hindrances encountered during accessing the course. Out of a total of 200 students who initially agreed to take part, 177 responses were received, with a response rate of 88.50 per cent, with no cases of missing data. The data were stored automatically in the hosted online survey service into a separate database after the submission of the responses. The descriptive data analyses (such as average) were led using the data analysis tool provided.

Findings

Even though most MOOCs do not provide academic credit or result in a degree, some of the biggest beneficiaries of MOOCs are students formally enrolled in an academic program, are provided a free mode to obtain additional academic assistance that would not otherwise be available (Parke Muth, 2018)15. Correspondingly, 93 per cent of the students opined MOOCs supplement other learning methods and provide lifelong opportunity. Learning has traditionally cost both money and time. With MOOCs, it now just costs time. In total, 24 per cent of the participants have discoursed free of cost as one of the intentions to choose their course. Almost every respondent (99 per cent) was interested toward online discussion forum, and 91 per cent preferred course materials containing video and audio files were pretty beneficial, while 88 per cent felt teaching through electronic whiteboard was the most advantageous criterion in their course. The study findings indicated that Coursera is the largest platform by user base (82 per cent), followed by Udemy (70 per cent).

Research limitations/implications

The study considered veterinary science undergraduate (BVSc) and postgraduate (MVSc) students alone, veterinary faculties are not included for the survey. There was comparatively less participation of respondents who enrolled or successfully completed a MOOC, which makes the analysis of limitations and satisfaction less reliable. Hence, the study results cannot be generalized as a comprehensive report of veterinary science scholars’ perceptiveness.

Originality/value

Animal health involves household pets and their care, in addition to livestock health and protection from diseases like bovine babesiosis, bovine tuberculosis and heartwater. There are numerous MOOCs offering online, contact or blended interventions in veterinary science and animal health that afford professionals quick and easy options to obtain credentials, including courses in pharmacology and toxicology, practice management, veterinary and para-veterinary studies, veterinary tropical diseases, radiology and wildlife management. As it is necessary to gain an understanding of the veterinary students’ level of familiarity and their insight toward the MOOC concept, the study attempts to explore their knowledge through an online survey.

Details

Information and Learning Sciences, vol. 120 no. 11/12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-5348

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 1 December 2015

Billy Tak Ming Wong*

This paper reports on an exploratorystudy of the influence of the pedagogic orientations of MOOC platforms on their courses. Four MOOC platforms — namely Coursera, edX…

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Abstract

This paper reports on an exploratorystudy of the influence of the pedagogic orientations of MOOC platforms on their courses. Four MOOC platforms — namely Coursera, edX, FutureLearn and OpenLearning — which illustrate their pedagogy on their websites were selected for this research.The pedagogic features of 32 courses on these platforms were examined.The results show course differences in terms of theirduration, learning activities, assessment, socialinteraction and instructors'participation. For example, while the courses on Coursera and edX used videos more extensively in general, FutureLearn and OpenLearning had more active socialinteraction. The findings confirm that the pedagogic features highlightedin each platform were realized in their courses. The implications lie in the flexibility of course developers in delivering MOOCs on the platforms, and the choices of platforms for MOOC learners.

Details

Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, vol. 10 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1858-3431

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 April 2020

Arnab Kundu and Tripti Bej

This study was inspired by the emergence of Massive Open Online Courses (henceforth MOOCs) as an e-learning trend of recent times, attracting huge enrollment across the globe…

Abstract

Purpose

This study was inspired by the emergence of Massive Open Online Courses (henceforth MOOCs) as an e-learning trend of recent times, attracting huge enrollment across the globe. Studies revealed that MOOCs had been getting extensive attention by educational circles in India, but whether its acceptability is limited only among learning communities of country’s top-notch universities like Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of Management (IIMs), and among Central Universities; or it has attracted equally the learners of State Universities spreading across every nook and corner of this huge country is yet to be studied. These State Universities virtually uphold the country’s higher education sector by catering learning ambitions of largest number of students. The present study investigated the penetration of MOOCs among students and teachers of State Universities in India.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative survey was conducted taking 10 reputed State Universities and 480 respondents (400 were students, and 80 were teachers) as samples. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were also conducted among 25 respondent students and teachers. Descriptive statistics, such as frequency and percentages, as well as inferential statistics, such as Likert scale and analysis of variance, were employed in analyzing the study.

Findings

The findings revealed that MOOCs have been successful in meeting the learning goals of the learners and teachers of these State Universities complementing their traditional learning environment at universities and by providing them a constant scope for re-skill and up-skill; still, participation in MOOCs is low, especially among females due to lack of awareness, inadequate infrastructure, and resultant poor completion rate.

Practical implications

The current study is going to be helpful to the Indian policy makers and all concerned in creating a healthy atmosphere for making MOOCs accessible to students and thereby leveraging its potential to increase the quality of higher education across country as it exhibits a clear picture of the current state of its penetration, problems and possibilities among teachers and students of State Universities that conforms the largest section of Indian intelligentsia. The findings can be used to compare perceptions of students' and teachers' from other developing countries also.

Originality/value

This study is the reporting of an original survey conducted in India and the write up is based on the analysis and findings of the survey results.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 12 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 April 2022

Jason Headrick and L.J. McElravy

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a form of distance education courses. They have been celebrated as revolutionizing the way learners access education and the way colleges…

Abstract

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a form of distance education courses. They have been celebrated as revolutionizing the way learners access education and the way colleges and universities could expand education on a global scale beyond their traditional campuses. The purpose of this study is to identify the pedagogical strategies used for instruction and assessment in leadership-oriented MOOCs and gain a more refined understanding of the current state of MOOCs in leadership education. This study examines 96 leadership MOOCs across the platforms of Coursera, EdX, FutureLearn, Canvas.net, and Standford Online through a content analysis research framework. The study concludes with a discussion of leadership MOOC pedagogy and presents the current state of MOOCS among leadership education and professional development.

Details

Journal of Leadership Education, vol. 21 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1552-9045

Article
Publication date: 22 September 2020

Arghya Ray, Pradip Kumar Bala and Rashmi Jain

Social media channels provide an avenue for expressing views about different services/products. However, unlike merchandise/company websites (where users can post both reviews and…

Abstract

Purpose

Social media channels provide an avenue for expressing views about different services/products. However, unlike merchandise/company websites (where users can post both reviews and ratings), it is not possible to understand user's ratings for a particular service-related comment on social media unless explicitly mentioned. Predicting ratings can be beneficial for service providers and prospective customers. Additionally, predicting ratings from a user-generated content can help in developing vast data sets for recommender systems utilizing recent data. The aim of this study is to predict ratings more accurately and enhance the performance of sentiment-based predictors by combining it with the emotional content of textual data.

Design/methodology/approach

This study had utilized a combination of sentiment and emotion scores to predict the ratings of Twitter posts (3,509 tweets) in three different contexts, namely, online food delivery (OFD) services, online travel agencies (OTAs) and online learning (e-learning). A total of 29,551 reviews were utilized for training and testing purposes.

Findings

Results of this study indicate accuracies of 58.34%, 57.84% and 100% in cases of e-learning, OTA and OFD services, respectively. The combination of sentiment and emotion scores showed an increase in accuracies of 19.41%, 27.83% and 40.20% in cases of e-learning, OFD and OTA services, respectively.

Practical implications

Understanding the ratings of social media comments can help both service providers as well as prospective customers who do not spend much time reading posts but want to understand the perspectives of others about a particular service/product. Additionally, predicting ratings of social media comments will help to build databases for recommender systems in different contexts.

Originality/value

The uniqueness of this study is in utilizing a combination of sentiment and emotion scores to predict the ratings of tweets related to different online services, namely, e-learning OFD and OTAs.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 28 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 July 2015

Sarah Porter

The purpose of this paper is to describe the present interest in the current and predicted business models of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC); the business models that are…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the present interest in the current and predicted business models of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC); the business models that are being used by MOOC platforms and MOOC providers; discussion of the key issues and challenges; predictions about the future MOOC business models from the perspectives of platforms, providers and consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

Review of the current literature for business models and costs for MOOCs and including the business models of higher education and possible future of the higher education system.

Findings

The findings of this paper show that most MOOCs are currently based upon a “freemium” model where content is provided freely and additional services are charged for; that there are already a range of different “flavours” of MOOC and that this range is likely to further develop over time with some clear winners emerging; and that completely free and open MOOCs are not likely to be the focus of growth in the future, rather MOOCs that are sustained through charges to customers.

Practical implications

To inform the debate about likely future business models and to help greater understanding of possible business models for MOOCs to inform decision-making by managers at universities.

Originality/value

To inform the debate about likely future business models and to help greater understanding of possible business models for MOOCs to inform decision-making by managers at universities.

Details

The Bottom Line, vol. 28 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0888-045X

Keywords

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