Emotionally Engaged Learners Are More Satisfied with Online Courses

Abstract

Research on massive open online courses (MOOCs) has tended to focus on outcome indicators valued in traditional higher education settings, particularly achievement and completion. This study highlights the differences between MOOCs and credit-bearing university courses and shifts this focus to an alternative outcome indicator—learner satisfaction. In this study, engagement is identified as an important antecedent of learner satisfaction and is conceptualised and operationalised as a multidimensional construct. This study built three regression models to identify the relative importance of behavioural, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement for learner satisfaction after controlling for personal characteristics unrelated to the criteria of good teaching. The analysis showed that engagement explained approximately 20% of the variance in learner satisfaction with MOOCs. Emotional engagement was more influential for predicting learner satisfaction than cognitive engagement and behavioural engagement. Social engagement had no significant effect on learner satisfaction. Demographics (age, education level, and origin) and motivation were of limited utility in predicting learner satisfaction with MOOCs, accounting for 4% and 2% of variance, respectively. Based on research findings, the article presents the following propositions: (1) configure the MOOC teaching and learning environment in a way that enhances emotional engagement; (2) statistically adjust for age, education level, origin, and motivation when interpreting learner satisfaction results; and (3) monitor the level of emotional engagement and implement educational interventions to provide support for emotional disengagers.