Learn Moodle: Step by Step or All at Once?

When exploring the papers in this literature review, it has become apparent that the large variety of MOOCs, their difference in participant number, subjects, length and formats leads to a wariness about generalisations.

 While some common factors have been identified – it is likely, for example that the less confident will take a more structured, scaffolded path – other elements, such as language skills and the effect of selective release of materials have not been widely considered. One study (Mullaney and Reich, 2013) suggests that selective release or 'all at once' release does not make an appreciable difference to completion rates, and the results of this study will be borne in mind when analysing the MOOC data.

Useful in terms of numbers of participants surveyed is the recent study by Olivé et al (2019) where data from eight Learn Moodle Basics MOOCs was used, covering a total of 46, 995 students. Olivé et al propose that performance in automatically assessed tasks along with positive ratings by others are factors affecting eventual completion or drop-out. This study is particularly relevant not only because of the number of students involved but also because it directly relates to the MOOC in this project, the Learn Moodle Basics MOOC.

 Several of the researchers comment in their own conclusions that more research is needed, and for this reason it is felt that a project investigating the reasons for and results of choosing a particular learning path (course content display) through a MOOC (albeit a single MOOC of several thousand participants) may be a useful addition to MOOC studies.