Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate learners’ experiences in marketing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The comments of 255 learners, collected from three top-rated marketing MOOCs, were analyzed with MAXQDA, a content analysis software. The analysis of the 517 meanings (unit of analysis) that emerged from these comments produced five themes and 16 associated categories valued by learners, each comprising several categories as follows: (a) topic and its categories: value, content, difficulty level, knowledge gain, insight increase, and cost effectiveness; (b) instructor and its categories: characteristics, content delivery, and communication; (c) peers and its categories: interaction and evaluation; (d) instructional design and its categories: workload, structuredness, and assessment; and (e) learning resources and its categories: quality and diversity. Among the 517 meanings, 448 were positive and 69 were negative, suggesting that the learners approved of the current practices of teaching and learning in the three marketing MOOCs. Further analyses showed that content delivery in the instructor theme and content and value in the topic theme were of considerable importance from the learners’ perspectives with regard to positive experiences; however, peer evaluation in the peers theme and assessment in the instructional design theme were negatively viewed by the learners. Discussion is provided to interpret the findings.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ashton, S., & Davies, R. S. (2015). Using scaffolded rubrics to improve peer assessment in a MOOC writing course. Distance Education, 36(3), 312–334. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2015.1081733
Bonafini, F., Chae, C., Park, E., & Jablokow, K. (2017). How much does student engagement with videos and forums in a MOOC affect their achievement? Online Learning, 21(4), 223–240. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v21i4.1270
Caskurlu, S., Richardson, J. C., Maeda, Y., & Kozan, K. (2021). The qualitative evidence behind the factors impacting online learning experiences as informed by the community of inquiry framework: A thematic synthesis. Computers & Education, 165, 104111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.104111
Chen, Y., Gao, Q., Yuan, Q., & Tang, Y. (2019). Facilitating students’ interaction in MOOCs through timeline-anchored discussion. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 35(19), 1781–1799. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2019.1574056
Chi, M. T. (1997). Quantifying qualitative analyses of verbal data: A practical guide. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 6(3), 271–315. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327809jls0603_1
Chiu, T. K., & Hew, T. K. (2018). Factors influencing peer learning and performance in MOOC asynchronous online discussion forum. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 34(4), 16–28. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.3240
Cho, M.-H., & Cho, Y. (2017). Self-regulation in three types of online interaction: A scale development. Distance Education, 38(1), 70–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2017.1299563
Creswell, J. W., Gutterman, T. C. (2019). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (6th eds.) Pearson: New York. pp 9–10
Deng, R., & Benckendorff, P. (2021). What are the key themes associated with the positive learning experience in MOOCs? An empirical investigation of learners’ ratings and reviews. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00244-3
Egloffstein, M., & Ifenthaler, D. (2017). Employee perspectives on MOOCs for workplace learning. TechTrends, 61(1), 65–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-016-0127-3
Egloffstein, M., Koegler, K., & Ifenthaler, D. (2019). Instructional quality of business MOOCs: Indicators and initial findings. Online Learning, 23(4), 85–105. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v23i4.2091
Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Building theories from case study research. Academy of Management Review, 14, 532–550. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1989.4308385
Gomez, M. J., Calderón, M., Sánchez, V., García Clemente, F. J., & Ruipérez-Valiente, J. A. (2022). Large scale analysis of open MOOC reviews to support learners’ course selection. Expert Systems With Applications, 210, 118400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2022.118400
Hamori, M. (2017). The drivers of employer support for professional skill development in MOOCs. In C. Delgado kloos, P. Jermann, M. Pérez-Sanagustín, D. Seaton, & S. White (Eds.), Digital education: Out to the world and back to the campus (pp. 203–209). London: Springer.
Hew, K. F., & Cheung, W. S. (2011). Higher-level knowledge construction in asynchronous online discussions: An analysis of group size, duration of online discussion, and student facilitation techniques. Instructional Science, 39(3), 303–319. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-010-9129-2
Hsieh, H. F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277–1288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732305276687
Johnson, D., & Johnson, R. (2008). Cooperation and the use of technology. In J. M. Spector, M. D. Merrill, J. van Merrienboer, & M. Driscoll (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (3rd ed., pp. 659–670). New York: Routledge.
Jung, E., Kim, D., Yoon, M., Park, S., & Oakley, B. (2019). The influence of instructional design on learner control, sense of achievement, and perceived effectiveness in a supersize MOOC course. Computers & Education, 128, 377–388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.10.001
Kuckartz, U., & Rädiker, S. (2019). Analyzing qualitative data with MAXQDA. Singapore: Springer International Publishing.
Li, X., Xu, X., Tao, S., & Sheng, C. (2022). A survey of postgraduates’ MOOC learning satisfaction based on the perspective of user experience. In E. C. K. Cheng, R. B. Koul, T. Wang, & X. Yu (Eds.), Artificial intelligence in education: Emerging technologies, models and applications (pp. 257–272). Springer.
Maya-Jariego, I., Holgado, D., González-Tinoco, E., Castaño-Muñoz, J., & Punie, Y. (2020). Typology of motivation and learning intentions of users in MOOCs: The MOOC knowledge study. Educational Technology Research & Development, 68, 203–224. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-019-09682-3
Mayring, P. (2000). Qualitative content analysis. Forum Qualitative Social Research. https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-1.2.1089
Moore, M. G. (1989). Three types of interaction. The American Journal of Distance Education, 3(2), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923648909526659
Morgan, G. A., Leech, N. L., Gloeckner, G. W., & Barrett, K. C. (2013). IBM SPSS for introductory statistics: Use and interpretation (5th ed.). Routledge.
Nanda, G., Douglas, K. A., Waller, D. R., Merzdorf, H. E., & Goldwasser, D. (2021). Analyzing large collections of open-ended feedback from MOOC learners using LDA topic modeling and qualitative analysis. IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, 14(2), 146–160. https://doi.org/10.1109/TLT.2021.3064798
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 10454. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
Pérez-Sanagustín, M., Hernández-Correa, J., Gelmi, C., Hilliger, I., & Rodriguez, M. F. (2016). Does taking a MOOC as a complement for remedial courses have an effect on my learning outcomes? A pilot study on calculus. In K. Verbert, M. Sharples, & T. Klobučar (Eds.), Adaptive and adaptable learning (pp. 221–233). Springer.
Saldaña, J. (2021). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (4th ed.). Sage.
Shah, D. (2021). By the numbers: MOOCS in 2021. Class Central. https://www.classcentral.com/report/mooc-stats-2021/
Tawfik, A. A., Reeves, T. D., Stich, A. E., Gill, A., Hong, C., McDade, J., Pillutla, V. S., Zhou, X., & Giabbanelli, P. J. (2017). The nature and level of learner–learner interaction in a chemistry massive open online course (MOOC). Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 29(3), 411–431. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-017-9135-3
Williamson, K., & Johanson, G. (Eds.). (2018). Research methods: Information, systems, and contexts. New York: Chandos Publishing.
Yang, M., Shao, Z., Liu, Q., & Liu, C. (2017). Understanding the quality factors that influence the continuance intention of students toward participation in MOOCs. Educational Technology Research & Development, 65, 1195–1214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-017-9513-6
Zhang, Y., & Wildemuth, B. M. (2009). Qualitative analysis of content. In B. M. Wildemuth (Ed.), Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science (pp. 308–319). Libraries Unlimited.
Zhu, M., Bonk, C., & Sari, A. R. (2018). Instructor experiences designing MOOCs in higher education: Pedagogical, resource, and logistical considerations and challenges. Online Learning Journal, 22(4), 204–241. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v22i4.1495
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Cho, MH., Yang, T., Niu, Z. et al. Investigating what learners value in marketing MOOCs: a content analysis. J Comput High Educ 36, 93–115 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-022-09347-w
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-022-09347-w