Self-directed informal learning in FutureLearn MOOCs:
methods & main findingsInge de Waard, Agnes Kukulska-Hulme, Mike Sharples
FutureLearn start
• Known: online learning, enrolled students, adult learners• Unknown: actual FutureLearn experienceDifferent Learning: from formal to informal, from mandatory to voluntary
Exploring: avoiding assumptions
• Quantitative research: premise, hypothesis• Questions risk guided by premise. Premise wrong, results wrong
• Qualitative research: exploration => avoid assumptions• Memo-writing, data analysis iteration, conscious interpretation
FL-learning experience: data collection
Expectations(pre-course)
Experiences(self-reported Learning logs)
Reflections(one-on-one interviews)
Morse, J. M., Stern, P. N., Corbin, J., Bowers, B., Clarke, A. E., & Charmaz, K. (2009). Developing grounded theory: The second generation (developing qualitative inquiry), p. 17.
Glaser & StraussDiscovery (1967)
Glaser (1987) Theoretical Sensitivity
Glaser (1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005,
2006)
Glaserian GT Stern (1995)
Charmaz (2000, 2006, [2014])
Constructivist GT
Strauss (1987)Qualitative analysis
Straussian GT
Strauss
Glaser
Clark (2003, 2005, 2008) Situational analysis
Strauss & Corbin (1990, 1998)
Corbin & Strauss (2008)
Schatzman (1991)Dimensional
analysis
Bower (1987)Caron & Bower (2000)
Bower & Schatzman (2009)
Selecting target population
• Methodologic rigour: qualitative GT sample at least 12 learners (52 learners)• Adult learners => experienced adult learners (avoid novelty remarks)• At least 3 years of online learning experience
Selecting courses
Science of Medicines: diabetes, heart,
depression (Monash Uni, Australia)
Decision Making in a Complex and
Uncertain World: economy and networks (Uni
Groningen, Netherlands)
Basic Science: Understanding
Experiments (OU, United Kingdom)
Different courses to obtain cross-course findings
Data collection
• Pre: online survey: background information & selection• During: self-reported learning logs: 2 per ‘learning week’• Post: one-on-one structured interviews
Investigating What comprises the informal learning journey of experienced, adult online learners engaging in individual and/or social self-directed learning using any device to follow a FutureLearn MOOC?• Which individual characteristics influence the learning experience?• What are the technical and media elements influencing the learning
experience? • How does individual and social learning affect the participants’
learning? • Which actions (if any) did the learners undertake to organise their
learning?
Data analysis
• Open coding, line-by-line coding (verify categories), focused coding => theoretically saturate core concepts• Memo writing: own assumptions, possible relations
Memo’s making sense
Self-directed Informal Learning experience: 5 components, 2 key inhibitors/enablers
Intrinsic Motivation &
Personal Learning
Goals
Individual Characteristics
(motivation)
Technical & Media
elements
Individual & Social learning
Context (people & content)
Organising Learning (learning
goals)
Individual characteristics
• Motivation: choosing a course, personal and/or professional reasons for completing learning episode (any length), edutainment• Personal traits influencing the learning process: perseverance, self-
confidence, emotional language describing learning
Technical & media elements affecting learning
• Devices used for learning• FutureLearn course & media elements • Learning new tools provided in FL-course
Individual & Social learning
• Individual learning actions• Social learning: connecting and sharing: looking for answers (help-seeking) versus experience
sharing, differences per course• Different social learning actions per course: choosing who to interact with, reflective actions,
cohort learning, language
Organising learning
• Personal goal setting: range of personal learning goals, selecting content, curated content benefit, building on personal learning actions• Planning: available time, time investment in social learning, keeping notes• Taking notes
Context
• Contextualizing content• Proximity to context as motivator• Peers and context
Future researchPersonalised learning
• Impact of generic assignments, enabling learners to fit the assignment to their contexts (contextualize pedagogical approach)
• Impact of enabling to set & realise personal learning goals (platform development)• Patterns of engagement while considering motivation and learning goals.• SRL outside professional FutureLearn MOOCs, including all SRL sub-processses • Neurobiological research: measuring brain activity in learners that are engaged in
FutureLearn courses (find trigger points for increased motivation and learning goals – interdisciplinary research).
Gratitude for ongoing wisdom & guidance
My two inspiring supervisors • Mike Sharples• Agnes Kukulska-Hulme
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