Learner Weblog by Sui Fai John Mak on why people leave MOOCS. Believe that the list of reasons may apply to all online learning communities.
Mak's reasons: 1. emotional (people afraid of revealing ignorance with technology and ideas); 2. lack of motivation; 3. feeling of chaos with too much info to deal with; 4. identity (in my words--where do I fit? What is my view uninfluenced by this rich abundance of ideas; 5. Threat to security and privacy and being overpowered by ideas of more influential, smarter people (my words)
In comments:
Ken Anderson--novelty; our neophilia keeps us from sticking around after the newness wears off;
Brainysmurf--the "working on me" realization--what I have to understand and address "about how I learn or do not learn, how I perceive authority and control, how I manage or fail to manage info and filters and flow of information."
Jeffrey Keefer--length (of commitment to course--12 weeks or 32 weeks?)