Instructor Experiences in Designing MOOCs in Higher Education: Considerations and Challenges

Meina Zhu, Curtis J. Bonk, and Annisa Sari
Indiana University, Bloomington

Results-cont

Assessment was another main design consideration which aligned with the findings of Watson et al. (2016). Among 134 respondents, 56 instructors (42%) used the learning management system to assess student learning, 18 instructors used a sharing portal, and 11 instructors asked students to present during the final class (see Figure 4). In line with the survey results, one instructor who taught in China mentioned that, “Then there has to be some assessment…There are a lot of multiple choice questions.”

Figure 4. Ways MOOC instructors used to assess participant learning
Engaging learners was one of the main MOOC design considerations mentioned in the interview and survey. To engage MOOC participants in learning, 93 out of 136 instructors (68%) provided certificates, 59% of instructors used self-paced learning, 57% provided optional readings, videos, or other materials, and 41% encouraged learners to design authentic projects (see Figure 5).

Figure 5. Ways to engage students in learning
The survey respondents were asked about the degree to which they considered unique learner needs while designing their MOOCs. More than two-third of the MOOC instructors (77%) agreed or strongly agreed that they placed much effort on meeting unique learner needs in their MOOCs (M=3.84, SD=1.05) (see Figure 6).

Figure 6. Effort expended by MOOC instructors to meet unique learner needs (n=139)
We were also interested in the specific tactics or strategies that MOOC instructors employed to meet the needs of their MOOC participants. The survey results revealed that to address students’ varying competencies and needs, 74% of the instructors (n=103) established learner-based discussion forums, 67% (n=93) embedded supplementary course materials, and half of the respondents (n=70) posted timely course announcements and sent emails (see Figure 7). 

Figure 7. Ways used by MOOC instructors to address learner diverse needs