Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Utilizing Technology in Education

Strategic Leadership

Open Educational Resources (OER) grows in different areas which enable all parties to exchange ideas through collaboration between learners, educators, and institutes. This openness is applied through a variety of models such as open curriculum, open learning, open assessment, and open platform (UNESCO, 2002). Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a relatively new concept in the education community. The first MOOC emerged from an open educational resource (OER) was in 2008. MOOCs still in its early stages and there is a need for some time to know the impact of MOOCs on the learning model and pedagogy. According to Siemens (2004), MOOCs are based on a relatively new learning theory; Connectivism. This theory provides a framework for learning through social networking, participation, discussion, and self-motivation. The purpose of this study is to examine if MOOCs participants age, educational level, certifications obtained, and course tools utilization will vary based on the MOOCs' subjects’ types. The sample for this study was based on a dataset for the Harvard and MIT MOOCs platform- edX. The results found that learners differ based on their MOOCs subjects’ categories. The study concluded that to get a good understanding of MOOC's registrations patterns and learner behaviors, MOOC's learners' professional, educational, demographic, and psychological aspects should be covered.