Exploring Learners’ Motivations on

Assessment in Massive Open Online

Courses

Tina Papathoma Supervisors: Canan Blake, Doug Clow, Eileen Scanlon

Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University, UK

(Tina.Papathoma@open.ac.uk)

AIMS

In the context of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), this study aims at exploring learners’ motivations in relation to assessment and their experiences of Self- Regulated Learning (SRL)

MOOCs

Massive Open Online Courses: Courses

aiming at large scale interactive

participation & open access via the web

regardless of pre-requisite knowledge or

qualification (Littlejohn 2013; Vale & Littlejohn 2013)

ASSESSMENT

Assessment seeks to measure outcomes of

learners’ performance on different activities &

is part of the learning process. Though, there

is discussion whether assessment drives

learning or not (Hughes 2014; Rowntree

1987)

Common assessment methods include

multiple choice questions, quizzes, peer

marked assignments, self-assessment.

SELF-REGULATED LEARNING

Self-Regulated Learning: the degree to which students are meta-cognitively, motivationally and behaviourally active participants in their own learning

Phases of Self-Regulation

1. Forethought

2. Performance

3. Self-Reflection

(Zimmerman, 2008)

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

RQ1: In what ways do common

assessment practices influence learners’

goals in MOOCs?

RQ2: What are learners’ experiences of

Self-Regulated learning in MOOCs?

RESEARCH AREAS

METHODOLOGY & METHODS of

DATA COLLECTION

Online ethnography: indicates qualitative

techniques but sometimes includes the use of

quantitative data and analysis (Hammersley 2006).

Data will be collected through:

a) online interviews so as to understand

people’s perspectives

b) a questionnaire instrument that will be

used to measure how learners regulate their

learning in MOOCs (Millingan &Littlejohn 2014)

PILOT STUDY

6 Interviews of a Mental Health Course of

the Future Learn Platform

6 questionnaires completed after the

interviews

PILOT STUDY

NEXT STEPS

The Interviews & Questionnaires will be

analysed

More courses in different contexts will be

investigated in the main study

CONTRIBUTION

Findings will give insight into learners’

perspective on assessment as well as

methods to be used in our future work on

this topic.

The end goal is to throw light on the

potential for influencing future MOOCs in

terms of adaptive assessment designs

based on learners’ goals and needs.

REFERENCES

1. Littlejohn, A. (2013). Understanding massive open online courses. CEMCA EdTech Notes, 1-2.

2. Vale, K., & Littlejohn, A. (2013). Massive Open Online Courses: A traditional or transformative approach to learning?, 212–227.

3. Hughes, G. (2014). Ipsative Assessment - Motivation through Marking Process (Palgrave M). London.

4. Rowntree, D. (1987). Assessing Students: How Shall We Know Them? (Cogan Page). London.

5. Zimmerman, B. J. (2008). Investigating Self-Regulation and Motivation_ Historical Background, Methodological Developments, and Future Prospects. American Educational Research Journal, 45(1), 166–183.

6. Hammersley, M., 2006. Ethnography: Problems and prospects. Ethnography and Education, 1(1), pp.37–41.

7. Milligan, C., & Littlejohn, A. (2014). Supporting Professional Learning in a Massive Open Online Course. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 15(5), 197–213.

Thank you !

@ aktinaki