MASTER THESIS ABOUT THE RELEVANCE OF THE CONTEXT FOR THE MOOC LEARNER EXPERIENCE

MASTER THESIS ABOUT THE RELEVANCE OF THE CONTEXT FOR THE MOOC LEARNER EXPERIENCE eduhub.ch / SwissMOOC Renato Soldenhoff March 25, 2015 renatosoldenhoff

2 Abstract Masterthesis zur Relevanz des Kontextes für die MOOC Learner Experience angefertigt an der Universität der Künste Berlin, Zentralinstitut für Weiterbildung / Masterstudiengang Leadership in Digitaler Kommunikation Diese Masterarbeit beschäftigt sich mit der These, dass der Kontext der Lernenden für eine erfolgreiche Teilnahme an einen Massiv Open Online Course (MOOC) relevant ist. Im Theorieteil wird eine wissenschaftliche Recherche zu MOOCs und derer Nutzer, zur User Experience und zum Kontext durchgeführt. Zwei Theorien aus dem Feld der User Experience zum Thema Kontext helfen, die Forschungsfragen zu formulieren: Forschungsfrage 1 Wie gestalten Lernende ihren Kontext? Forschungsfrage 2 Wie beeinflusst der Kontext die erfolgreiche MOOC-Teilnahme? Zum Abschluss des Theorieteils wird ein theoretisches Kontext-Modell vorgestellt, um anschließend die Kontexte der MOOC Learner Experience zu beschreiben. Das Modell dient als Hilfsmittel für die praktische Untersuchung und für die Auswertung und Kategorisierung der Ergebnisse. In der praktischen Untersuchung wurden 13 Probanden eines MOOC per Skype interviewt. Die Ergebnisse geben einen Einblick in deren Nutzungsmotive und den damit verbundenen Faktoren, die zu einer erfolgreichen Teilnahme führen. Dabei zeigte sich, dass die Probanden bewusst oder unbewusst ihren Kontext gestalten, doch dass der Kontext immer relativ zur Person zu verstehen ist. Einzelne Kontextfaktoren haben eine Relevanz, doch werden sie von den Lernenden unterschiedlich gewichtet. Die Masterarbeit präsentiert zum Abschluss sieben Potenziale der MOOC Learner Experience für Lernende und Anbieter, die sich aufgrund von Theorie und praktischer Untersuchung herauskristallisiert haben. Renato Soldenhoff 20. Juni 2014 Renato Soldenhoff Masterthesis zur Relevanz des Kontextes für die MOOC Learner Experience Master Thesis About the relevance of the context for the MOOC Learner Experience Written for The Berlin University of the Arts «Leadership in Digital Communication» July 2004

3 «Let s teach the world.» Koller 2014 Image: technologyreview.com o.j.

MOTIVATION MOOCS LEARNERS USER EXPERIENCE SURVEY «My intention is to understand the subject matter so that I can apply the same in my work. I may take necessary things from the course now apply them and then come back a#er six months and study more.» Agarwal, G. 2013 «Between a full-time job and two children at home, I simply have not been able to consistently find the time» Payne 2013 Image: 7billionothers.org 2015 4

5 «Learning is context specific» Falk/Dierking 2000

6 How do learners design their learning context? The context is relevant for a successful MOOC Learner participation. How does the context influence the successful participation?

7 Who is attending? The user experience What are MOOCs? and its context The context of the MOOC learner experience Image: Proband B1 2014

What are MOOCs? MOTIVATION MOOCS LEARNERS USER EXPERIENCE SURVEY 8

9 MOOCS TYPOLOGY MOOR SPOC SMOC DOCC xmooc cmooc smooc BOOC bmooc

10 MOOCS DISCUSSION Data Analytics Completion rate Privacy Exclusion Accessability Empowerment xmooc Engagement Relationship & Community Quality Pedagogy Content Accreditation

Who is attending? MOTIVATION MOOCS LEARNERS USER EXPERIENCE SURVEY 11

12 LEARNERS «In addition to being highly educated, the Coursera student population tends to be young, male, and employed, with a majority from developed countries.» Christensen et al. 2013

13 LEARNERS (AIMS) FROM A PROVIDERS VIEW Meet new people 12% Try online education 41% Learn new things 95% To get a certificate 33% See what MOOCs are 20% University of Edinburgh 2013 Improve Career 32%

14 What is a User Experience & what is context?

15 USER EXPERIENCE CONTEXT USER INTERACTION PRODUCT Jensen 2013; Roto et al 2011; ISO9241-210

16 CONTEXT Ubiquitous Computing Context is relative to each individual and is not stable. adapted from Dourish 2004 Ecological Psychology The physical-spatial context affects the individual s behavior (Behavior Setting). adapted from Hellbrück/Fischer1999

17 What now? Bring it to practice

18 CONTEXTUAL MODEL OF LEARNING Falk/Dierking 2000

19 CONTEXTUAL MODEL OF Personal Context MOOC LEARNING FACTOR 1 Motivation & expectations FACTOR 2 Prior knowledge, interests & beliefs Representational Context FACTOR 6 Advance organizers and orientation FACTOR 3 Choice & control Sociocultural Context FACTOR 4 Within-group sociocultural mediation FACTOR 8 Reinforcing events and experiences outside of MOOCs FACTOR 7 Design & technology FACTOR 5 Facilitated mediation by others adapted from Falk/Dierking 2000

20 RESEARCH DESIGN Online form

21 GUIDED INTERVIEW This is not a representative survey. Intro Pictures & answers 1st battery of questions Successfull participation: motives & personal success 2nd battery of questions Active context design: preparation & participation 3rd battery of questions Relevance of the context for a successful participation: achieve aims & improvements MOOCs Outro 3 advices for future MOOC learners

22 13 PROBANDS D3 C5 B2 C6 D4 C1 C1 C2 E1 A1 C3 B1 B3 C4

23 SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION: MOTIVES MOTIVE 2 Career Improvement of profession and study MOTIVE 3 Compendium Getting supplemental and differentiated knowledge MOTIVE 1 Curiosity Learning and explore new fields MOTIVE 4 Analysis Observation and evaluation of MOOCs Personal Context

24 SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION: PERSONAL SUCCESS Individual Success Factors Motives Learn & apply the learned knowledge MOTIVE 1 Curiosity MOTIVE 2 Career MOTIVE 3 Compendium MOTIVE 4 Analysis Certificate MOTIVE 1 Neugierde Curiosity MOTIVE 2 Career MOTIVE 3 Compendium MOTIVE 4 Analysis Improvement of the career MOTIVE 1 Curiosity MOTIVE 2 Career MOTIVE 3 Compendium MOTIVE 4 Analysis Completion & Breakup MOTIVE 1 Curiosity MOTIVE 2 Career MOTIVE 3 Compendium MOTIVE 4 Analysis Educational material & behavior MOTIVE 1 Curiosity MOTIV 2 Karriere MOTIVE 3 Compendium MOTIVE 4 Analysis Personal Context

25 ACTIVE CONTEXT DESIGN: Personal Context PARTICIPATION Invested time Participation (rhythm) FACTOR 1 Motivation & expectations FACTOR 2 Prior knowledge, interests & beliefs Representational Context FACTOR 6 Advance organizers and orientation FACTOR 3 Choice & control Sociocultural Context FACTOR 4 Within-group sociocultural mediation FAKTOR 8 Reinforcing events and experiences outside of MOOCs FAKTOR 7 Design & technology FACTOR 5 Facilitated mediation by others

ACTIVE CONTEXT DESIGN: Personal Context MOTIVATION MOOCS LEARNERS USER EXPERIENCE SURVEY 26 PARTICIPATION FACTOR 1 Motivation & expectations FACTOR 2 Prior knowledge, interests & beliefs Representational Context FACTOR 6 Advance organizers and orientation FACTOR 3 Choice & control Sociocultural Context FACTOR 4 Within-group sociocultural mediation Learning Groups Size of a Learning Group Communication FAKTOR 8 Reinforcing events and experiences outside of MOOCs FAKTOR 7 Design & technology FACTOR 5 Facilitated mediation by others MOOC-Community Diversity of the MOOC-Com.

27 ACTIVE CONTEXT DESIGN: Personal Context PARTICIPATION FACTOR 1 Motivation & expectations FACTOR 2 Prior knowledge, interests & beliefs Representational Context FACTOR 6 Advance organizers and orientation FACTOR 3 Choice & control Sociocultural Context FACTOR 4 Within-group sociocultural mediation Planning / timetable Learning site FAKTOR 8 Reinforcing events and experiences outside of MOOCs FAKTOR 7 Design & technology FACTOR 5 Facilitated mediation by others

28 RELEVANCE OF THE CONTEXT FOR THE OWN SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION: ACHIEVE PERSONAL AIMS Yes Ja No Nein Jein Yes-No noch offen open

29 RELEVANCE OF THE CONTEXT FOR THE OWN SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION: IMPROVEMENT OF MOOCS TO SUPPORT Language Course Design Expert Feedbacks Learning Group Concept Course Mobile Length Technology Repetition Personal Context Sociocultural Context Representational Context

30 ADVICES FOR FUTURE MOOC LEARNERS Additional Material Discipline Engagement Simpel Courses Timetable Synchron Fun Apply Language Make Notes Interest-driven Finish Certificat Courses adäquate Course Together Personal Context Sociocultural Context Representational Context

31 7 POTENTIALS FOR LEARNERS & PROVIDERS Set Personal Aims «Let s teach the world.» What can learners and MOOC providers do to consider individual contexts? Reflect Schedule Time Repeat Build Learning Groups (with friends) Commit for the topic and the learning group Individual research

32 SOURCES Agarwal, Gaurav (2013): The article conveys that Thrun is troubled with... In: Cha$in, Max: Udacity's Sebastian Thrun, Godfather Of Free Online Education, Changes Course. URL: http://www.fastcompany.com/3021473/udacity-sebastian-thrun-uphill-climb. Stand: 05.02.14. Christensen, Gayle/Steinmetz, Andrew/Alcorn, Brandon/Bennett, Amy/Woods, Deirdre/Emanuel Ezekiel J. (2013): The MOOC Phenomenon: Who Takes Massive Open Online Courses and Why? Zugriff über Online-Archiv: Social Science Research Network. URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2350964. Stand: 17.02.14 Dourish, Paul (2004): What We Talk About When We Talk About Context. In: Personal and Ubiquitous Computing. 8. Jg., He# 1, S. 19-30 (PDF 1-18). Abru%ar im Internet. URL: http://www.dourish.com/publications/2004/puc2004-context.pdf. Stand: 19.02.14. Falk, John H./Dierking, Lynn D. (2000): Learning from Museums. Visitor Experiences and the Making of Meaning. Lanham u.a. Heinecke, Andreas M. (2012): Mensch-Computer-Interaktion. Basiswissen für Entwickler und Gestalter. Berlin/Heidelberg. Hellbrück, Jürgen/Fischer, Manfred (1999): Umwelt-Psychologie. Ein Lehrbuch. Göttingen u.a. Jensen, Jens F. (2013): IT and experiences: user experience, experience design and user-experience design. In: Sundbo, Jon/Sørensen, Flemming: Handbook on Experience Economy. Cheltenham/Massachusetts, S. 179-208. Koller, Daphne (2012): Computing Conversations: Daphne Koller and Coursera. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw44kxiu7q8. Stand: 25.03.15. MOOC-Lernende (2014), Interview MOOC Learner Experience. Im Gespräch mit Soldenhoff, Renato. Toronto, 05.04.14. Payne, William (2013): We should not worry so much about the completion rate. In: Cha$in, Max: Udacity's Sebastian Thrun, Godfather Of Free Online Education, Changes Course. URL: http://www.fastcompany.com/3021473/udacity-sebastian-thrun-uphill-climb. Stand: 05.02.14. Roto, Virpi/Law, Effie/Vermeeren, Arnold/Hoonhout, Jettie (2011): User Experience White Paper. Bringing clarity to the concept of user experience. URL: http:// www.allaboutux.org/files/ux-whitepaper.pdf. Stand: 16.02.14. University of Edinburgh (2013): MOOCs @ Edinburgh 2013 Report #1. Abru%ar im Internet. URL: https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/6683. Stand: 17.02.14.

33 Thank you! Zurich University of the Arts Renato Soldenhoff Head of E-Learning Toni-Areal, Pfingstweidstrasse 96 Postfach, CH-8031 Zurich renato.soldenhoff@zhdk.ch