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Mackness, J, Mak, S and Williams, R (2010) The ideals and reality of participating in a MOOC, proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Networked Learning 2010, University of Lancaster, available at: www.lancaster.ac.uk/fss/organisations/netlc/past/nlc2010/ abstracts/PDFs/Mackness.pdf' This is a peer reviewed scholarly article, frequently cited, based on mixed method research which studied the learners in the first connectivist MOOC. As such it was the first study of its kind. It appears to have correctly analyzed the relatively small quantitative sample of learners, including an instructor or two. Its contribution is to test the connectivist theory (Siemens and Downes) with a case. As noted in the abstract "The research found that autonomy, diversity, openness and connectedness/interactivity are indeed characteristics of a MOOC, but that they present paradoxes which are difficult to resolve in an online course. The more autonomous, diverse and open the course, and the more connected the learners, the more the potential for their learning to be limited by the lack of structure, support and moderation normally associated with an online course, and the more they seek to engage in traditional groups as opposed to an open network." P. 266 Analysis was focused on the "characteristics of connectivism outlined by Downes, i.e. autonomy, diversity, openness and connectedness/interactivity" p.266. Generally the research outlines the strengths and weaknesses of cMOOCs using this format. Not a lot of further research is recommended other than using a larger sample in future research and "the aims of experiencing learning within a massive open online network are constrained by a course framework and many design issues and aspects of learner experience remain unresolved." P. 273 Abstract "CCK08' was a unique event on Connectivism and Connective Knowledge within a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) in 2008. It was a course and a network about the emergent practices

Jordan, K. (2014). Initial trends in enrolment and completion of Massive Open Online Courses. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 15(1), 133-160. Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/viewFile/1651/2813 Abstract "The past two years have seen rapid development of massive open online courses (MOOCs) with the rise of a number of MOOC platforms. The scale of enrolment and participation in the earliest mainstream MOOC courses has garnered a good deal of media attention. However, data about how the enrolment and completion figures have changed since the early courses is not consistently released. This paper seeks to draw together the data that has found its way into the public domain in order to explore factors affecting enrolment and completion. The average MOOC course is found to enroll around 43,000 students, 6.5% of whom complete the course. Enrolment numbers are decreasing over time and are positively correlated with course length. Completion rates are consistent across time, university rank, and total enrolment, but negatively correlated with course length. This study provides a more detailed view of trends in enrolment and completion than was available previously, and a more accurate view of how the MOOC field is developing." p.133 This is a peer reviewed article by a frequently cited author from the Open University who has set up for other researchers a MOOC Research Literature Browser that currently has 257 annotated research articles. It was written in 2013 using enrolment and completion data that was available on the Internet. It lists the data in a long table (for transparency) and shows in graphs enrolment and completion analysis. The article's main contribution is the aggregation of data for a large number of courses undertaken from 2011-2013 on 3 US based platforms, data not readily ava

Ho, A. D., Reich, J., Nesterko, S., Seaton, D. T., Mullaney, T., Waldo, J., & Chuang, I. (2014). HarvardX and MITx: The first year of open online courses (HarvardX and MITx Working Paper No. 1). Retrieved from http://ssrn.com/abstract=2381263 The report analyzes in detail the interaction between the students and courses and draws conclusions based on the findings and suggests further research. One of the insights that makes MOOCs quite different than traditional classroom courses is the usage patterns. The authors pointed out that "[n]ew metrics, far beyond grades and course certification, are necessary to capture the diverse usage patterns in the data. A simple comparison of grades and viewed content shows thousands of users who fit a range of profiles. Of particular interest may be those students who accessed substantial course content but did not participate in assessments." (Ho, et al., 2014, p. 3.)

To Marian: I never really paid that much attention to MOOCs until you presented all this information on them. I suppose distance learning and MOOCs are the wave of the future. I am going to have to learn a lot more about MOOCs to understand where higher education may well be going -- at least at the undergraduate level.

Marian: We have an unusual culture where I work. If there is work, it comes with a price. We have many faculty who feel that they need to be paid a lot more to develop in this platform model. 100 students in a course is hard for them to imagine, but much of the grading can be automated. I would like to encourage the use of MOOCs for a few reasons, but I have two that are of value to the education industry. The first is students who are unsure of their educational goals can take advantage of the free or very low cost access to content to see if the path is for them. Second, there seems to be an opportunity for increased enrollment. This is an area that many institutions across the nation are struggling with. Having so much more online availability and larger classes could be part of the solution.

Kizilcec, R. F., Piech, C. and Schneider, E. (2013). Deconstructing disengagement: analyzing learner subpopulations in massive open online courses. In Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge (pp. 170-179). New York, NY, USA: ACM. doi:10.1145/2460296.2460330 The abstract begins as follows: "As MOOCs grow in popularity, the relatively low completion rates of learners has been a central criticism. This focus on completion rates, however, reflects a monolithic view of disengagement that does not allow MOOC designers to target interventions or develop adaptive course features for particular subpopulations of learners. To address this, we present a simple, scalable, and informative classification method that identifies a small number of longitudinal engagement trajectories in MOOCs." This peer reviewed conference paper goes on to describe how they classified learners and using data analytics from 3 courses as well as survey data from learners they developed 4 classifications. Of these classifications in addition to those who completed the courses, the auditors were of interest. They proceeded to suggest possible areas where the MOOC approaches could be adapted and tested to meet the needs of learners such as auditors. They also considered ways of increasing access and equity.

Morris, N., & Lambe, J. (2014). Studying a Mooc : a Guide. Retrieved from http://www.palgrave.com/resources/Product-Page-Downloads/M/Morris-Studying-a-MOOC/Studying-a-MOOC-Neil-Morris-James-Lambe.pdf How-to "free" guide book from Palgrave to help anyone prepare themselves to study a MOOC course. As MOOCs tend to appeal to learners with good digital study habits already - this will bring less technically savvy people familiarity with MOOCs as well as people who are not used to studying in an online environment the essential information that they need to know about the online features. It is extremely clearly written, easy to follow, with good advice in each section and not too long. It covers the A-Z of MOOCs from the learner perspective. It provides really useful hyperlinks for finding courses. (The only information not given is related to the copyright issues for user content.) It is a 'first' as far as I can tell in this sort of study guide. It would be useful to younger students (say highschool level) who have never taken an online course before or to older learners (over 30) who have good study habits but are not familiar with digital technology and online communication methods and etiquette and want to learn how to participate in MOOCs including discussion groups, etc. before they start. I thought that it would be a useful resource prior to starting the MALET programme as it gives a lot of practical advice that is relevant to all online learning.

Macleod, B. H., Haywood, J., & Woodgate, A. (2015). Emerging patterns in MOOCs: Learners, course designs and directions. TechTrends, 59(1), 56-63. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.library.esc.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=452639d7-274a-43d4-9d76-6f20356bc6e1%40sessionmgr115&hid=111 Abstract "Engagement with Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) at the University of Edinburgh has emerged from its strategic priorities to explore and innovate in the area of online and technologically supported approaches to teaching and learning. This paper provides an account of analysis aimed at understanding who Edinburgh MOOC learners are, who elects to participate and the aspirations of that population, and the place that the MOOC will occupy in the University's online learning ecology. The analysis addresses a number of predictions that have been made about MOOCs since 2012, including their use for providing educational opportunities to the disadvantaged; global uptake of online learning; growth of an 'educational imperialism'; and the claim that 'MOOCs are for male geeks', and concludes with some observations about the University of Edinburgh's future plans in this space." (p.56) This is a peer reviewed academic article from TechTrends by University of Edinburgh. It analyzes the university's experience with MOOC learners after delivering 6 MOOCs on the Coursera platform, twice each. It presents analysis from 150K questionnaire respondents reflecting 600,000 enrolled learners. Some comparisons are made between the Coursera learners with newer platforms namely FutureLearn (UK) and Rwaq, a Saudi Arabian platform in Arabic. The sample of 20% of MOOC learners is considered representative of Coursera learners generally. Good graphics show results of an

Yousef, A. M. F., Chatti, M. A., Wosnitza, M., & Schroeder, U. (2015). A Cluster Analysis of MOOC Stakeholder Perspectives. RUSC. Universities and Knowledge Society Journal, 12(1). pp. 74-90. doi http://dx.doi.org/10.7238/rusc.v12i1.2253 Abstract "Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are providing opportunities for thousands of learners to participate in free higher education courses online. MOOCs have unique features that make them an effective Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) approach. Institutions are offering a growing variety of MOOCs. Nevertheless, there are several crucial challenges that should be considered in the development of MOOCs, e.g., the drop-out rate of over 95% of course participants. One of the potential reasons for that is the complexity and diversity of MOOC participants. This diversity is not only related to the cultural and demographic profile, but also considers the diverse motives and perspectives when enrolled in MOOCs. This paper aims to cluster and analyze the different objectives of MOOC stakeholders to build a deeper and better understanding of their behaviors. Our main finding was a set of eight clusters, i.e., blended learning, flexibility, high quality content, instructional design and learning methodologies, lifelong learning, network learning, openness, and student-centered learning. This cluster schema creates a meaningful picture for the MOOC community" (p. 71). This is a peer reviewed scholarly article that uses qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze survey data on MOOC instructors and learners. Responses were relatively low: 158. The context is unclear - where did they get the sampling frame from? And why did they combine the learners and instructors? So there is some question as to the sample and it cannot be generalized. That said, they are innovative in their qualitative analysis. The qualitative work analyzed the open ended questions in their survey. They used a research method that allowed them to catego

Reference Gasevic, D., Kovanovic, V. Joksimovic, S., Siemens, G. (2014). Where is Research on Massive Open Online Courses Headed ? A Data Analysis of the MOOC Research Initiative. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 15(5), 135 -176. Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1954/3111

Marian, this is an involved research report on MOOC research initiative! Specifically, the issue of low course completion and high degree of student attrition was often pronounced as the key challenge of MOOCs & that understanding factors that affect student engagement, completion and success in MOOCs is a complicated psychological process. Theory of planned behavior (TPB) - used to study behavioral change - in the study's case, changing students intention to complete a MOOC and thus, increase their likelihood of course completion - it remains to be seen to what extent a student's intention can be changed if the student did not have an intention to complete a MOOC in the first place. What would be a reason that could motivate a student to change their intention in cases when she/he only enrolled in a MOOC to access information provided without intentions to take any formal assessments? Side note - are you aware of (or have you already taken) ESC's EDU-681111 Metacognitive Analysis: U Albany & Empire State College MOOC? Also, you may be interested in reading this article - Beyond MOOCs: Is IT Creating a New, Connected Age? EDUCAUSE Sprint 2013.

We describe a cheating strategy enabled by the features of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and detectable by virtue of the sophisticated data systems that MOOCs provide. The strategy, Copying Answers using Multiple Existences Online (CAMEO), involves a user who gathers solutions to assessment questions using a "harvester" account and then submits correct answers using a separate "master" account. We use "clickstream" learner data to detect CAMEO use among 1.9 million course participants in 115 MOOCs from two universities. Using conservative thresholds, we estimate CAMEO prevalence at 1,237 certificates, accounting for 1.3% of the certificates in the 69 MOOCs with CAMEO users. Among earners of 20 or more certificates, 25% have used the CAMEO strategy. CAMEO users are more likely to be young, male, and international than other MOOC certificate earners. We identify preventive strategies that can decrease CAMEO rates and show evidence of their effectiveness in science courses.

This paper discusses ethics and student assessment, as applicable to the growing field of distance education. Since we are all taking online courses I thought this would be a good share.

Great points made in this article about how difficult it is to know who is really completing the work in an online course or exam. So much to consider when the exams really matter in terms of professional advancement. I think of all the exams I had to sit for in Albany for New York State teacher licensing five years ago and there they fingerprint you when you take the exam to ensure that someone else is not taking it for you.

This is a great practical guide. I'm teaching my first online high school course this semester -- it's an experiment my superintendent is indulging -- and it's the kind of useful info I can use.

EducationWorld is pleased to present this article by Lisa Monthie, an education specialist at ESC Region 12 in Waco, Texas . Monthie enjoys finding innovative means of integrating technology in the English Language Arts/Reading classroom. The article originally appeared in TechEdge, a quarterly magazine published by Naylor LLC for Texas Computer Education Association members. What is interesting about this is the infographic that predicts that by 2018 there will be more full-time online students than students in traditional classrooms.

Bill, I was surprised to read that 12% of current high school students have taken an online course on their own just to learn more about a topic of interest! I appreciate that the article begins by informing the reader to consider answering a list of basic questions (albeit far from a complete list) related to online instruction, before making a commitment to develop an online course.

What is the current state of mobile services among academic libraries of the country's top 100 universities, and what are the best practices for librarians implementing mobile services at the university level? Through in--‐depth website visits and survey questionnaires, the authors studied each of the top 100 universities' libraries' experiences with mobile services. Results showed that all of these libraries offered at least one mobile service, and the majority offered multiple services. The most common mobile services offered were mobile sites, text messaging services, e--‐books, and mobile access to databases and the catalog. In addition, chat/IM services, social media accounts and apps were very popular. Survey responses also indicated a trend towards responsive design for websites so that patrons can access the library's full site on any mobile device. Respondents recommend that libraries considering offering mobile services begin as soon as possible as patron demand for these services is expected to increase. [Abstract from EBSCOHost Education Source: Full-text article available in ESC library databases.] Link: http://search.proquest.com.library.esc.edu/pqrl/docview/1691586122/5530379CBA1C4741PQ/3?accountid=8067 Yan Quan, L., & Briggs, S. (2015). A Library in the Palm of Your Hand: Mobile Services in Top 100 University Libraries. Information Technology & Libraries, 34(2), 133-148. doi:10.6017/ital.v34i2.5650

Robert, This link takes me to the ESC login, but after logging in I receive the following message: Failure to connect due an internal server error. I thought maybe this was due to a browser issue, but it occurred with Safari, FireFox & Chrome. I searched for and located the article online (http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/view/5650/pdf) - the research is interesting. Research presented confirms that "mobile [library] services are already ubiquitous among the country's top universities". My university's library services, catalogs, databases, ebook collections, etc. are also all accessible via online access from the university's library website page and directly via a link every LMS course shell. We have standardized certain items in all our LMS course shells and a link to the university's library resources is one of these standardized course shell items. If students have the mobile LMS app on a tablet/phone, again, all library services, catalogs, databases, & I believe ebooks?, etc. are accessible.

To Mark: I added in a link to get to this article and to all the articles I posted in the commercial databases. It is very interesting that ALL the ERIC links work but all the commercial links directly to the full-text PDF articles do not. Robert, December 1, 2015 I am sorry about this. I copied the link directly. Perhaps it did not work because you have to log in to the database first. The link will not take you there because you need to authenticate first, etc. Anyway, you can find the article in the EBSCOHost Education Source by title in the ESC databases. I realize that you already found it at another web site. That's OK, too. As long as you can access it. -- Robert

EDU681102 - Module 2, Week 2. Mark Ness, article #4.

2012 was a year of rapid change for education with the advent of MOOCs-Massive Open Online Courses-available for the world to use to learn for free. But what does this mean for the role of the librarian? How has the landscape in education changed, and what are the issues and challenges that librarians now face? This article reviews the position of libraries in the emergence of MOOCs and the role that a librarian could undertake within the research, production, and presentation of MOOCs.

"While language learning and place-based learning linked to history, geography, sociology, and social studies are already available for such devices, the next developments are focused on using wearable devices linked to smartphones for self-assessment linked to a much wider range of learning. Imagine being a student four weeks away from final examinations in chemistry. What if your Apple Watch or smartphone asked you chemistry questions related to your course of study twice a day, every day for these four weeks? The daily feedback could help you focus review on topics you are weak in and reinforce your mastery of topics in which you are strong. These adaptive assessments are becoming more widely used and can be linked to open educational resources on the specific topics the student needs to master so as to aid their learning."

Category: report, Abstract: The face of learning has changed. Over the past two decades, learning has evolved from traditional instructor-led classroom training to distance learning to e-learning to virtual learning environments and to massive open online courses. And, the face of learners has changed as well.

"Technology acceptance in education has been and continues to be a central concern for researchers, application and platform developers, and educators. Rapid advancements in miniaturization along with the availability of fast, reliable, and affordable networks have sparked an increasing demand by students for better ways to complement their mobile lifestyles in support of their learning. Based on a review of the literature of technology acceptance and trends in mobile device usage in learning, this researcher tested the predictive power of the Mobile Learning Acceptance Model (MLAM) in an online higher education setting. MLAM is an extension of the technology acceptance model (TAM) inasmuch as it seeks to obtain user perceptions of usefulness and ease of use and their effect on user attitude and behavioral intention to use mobile devices for learning. For this research, users included students and faculty. Current literature indicates that student desire for access to a variety of learning resources anywhere anytime is growing yet little is known regarding faculty perceptions regarding mobile learning (m-learning) or on how institutions can position themselves to meet the growing demand. A web-based survey design was used to test MLAM using a previously developed and validated instrument, though updated to include and exclude what is now or no longer applicable and the wording modified to ensure relevancy to the target population studied. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to validate the factor structure. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine which factors had the greatest influence on m-learning acceptance." [Abstract from ERIC database.] Link: http://search.proquest.com.library.esc.edu/docview/1399418322/abstract?accountid=8067 Marrs, K. (2013). An investigation of the factors that influence faculty and student acceptance of mobile learning in online higher education. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.esc.edu/pqrl/doc

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities stresses that persons with disabilities should be able to participate fully in all aspects of life, including education. Nevertheless, statistics shows than a low percentage of persons with