Affiliation:
1. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
Abstract
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have brought online learning movement to the forefront of educational research, but one of the major critiques of this learning platform is the very low completion rate. This chapter not only highlights the factors that influence low completion but also interprets how incompletion can fulfill goals of enrollment. Self-motivation is identified as a key factor for success in online learning platforms. This chapter puts together a review of existing research on MOOC enrollment and completion and also explains how success can be defined in a broader way in online learning. Along with that it draws on examples of success through incompletion in MOOCs from a qualitative study on female MOOC users from South Asia. Findings suggest that users enroll into MOOCs with goals to complete but also with specific needs to fulfill. An in-depth analysis of the interviews highlights how women have utilized this platform for their personal, professional or academic development and self-improvement.
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