TY - JOUR
T1 - Why study on a MOOC? The motives of students and professionals
AU - Milligan, Colin
AU - Littlejohn, Allison
N1 - OA journal, articles published under CC-BY, published by Athabasca University Press. CC licence is noted on the footer of the article webpage.
Author provided note of acceptance date and online publication date (email in SAN). ET 5/6/20
As epub date is same as print month, used epub as the definitive pub date. ET 5/6/20
PY - 2017/4/5
Y1 - 2017/4/5
N2 - Massive Open Online Courses have emerged as a popular mechanism for independent learners to acquire new knowledge and skills; however, the challenge of learning online without dedicated tutor support requires learners to self-motivate. This study explores the primary motivations reported by participants in two MOOCs: Fundamentals of Clinical Trials and Introduction to Data Science (n=970). Each MOOC drew a diverse cohort of participants ranging from professionals working in the field to students preparing to enter it. Across both MOOCs, a similar profile of primary motivations emerged, with respondents identifying the potential benefits to their current role, or future career, alongside more general responses reflecting casual interest in the topic or a simple desire to learn. Professionals were primarily motivated by current needs, describing how the course could fill gaps in their formal knowledge, broaden their skillset to increase their effectiveness at work, or enable them to innovate. Professionals also saw the benefit of MOOC study in preparing them for new roles and career progression. Students, meanwhile, used MOOC study to complement their other learning. It is clear that MOOC study represents a popular mechanism for professionals to address both current and future learning needs.
AB - Massive Open Online Courses have emerged as a popular mechanism for independent learners to acquire new knowledge and skills; however, the challenge of learning online without dedicated tutor support requires learners to self-motivate. This study explores the primary motivations reported by participants in two MOOCs: Fundamentals of Clinical Trials and Introduction to Data Science (n=970). Each MOOC drew a diverse cohort of participants ranging from professionals working in the field to students preparing to enter it. Across both MOOCs, a similar profile of primary motivations emerged, with respondents identifying the potential benefits to their current role, or future career, alongside more general responses reflecting casual interest in the topic or a simple desire to learn. Professionals were primarily motivated by current needs, describing how the course could fill gaps in their formal knowledge, broaden their skillset to increase their effectiveness at work, or enable them to innovate. Professionals also saw the benefit of MOOC study in preparing them for new roles and career progression. Students, meanwhile, used MOOC study to complement their other learning. It is clear that MOOC study represents a popular mechanism for professionals to address both current and future learning needs.
KW - professional development
KW - motivation
KW - MOOCs
U2 - 10.19173/irrodl.v18i2.3033
DO - 10.19173/irrodl.v18i2.3033
M3 - Article
SN - 1492-3831
VL - 18
SP - 92
EP - 102
JO - International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning
JF - International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning
IS - 2
ER -