Abstract:

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have surged in popularity over the last decade, especially during the COVID-19 period. However, they still have some learner attrition and course completion rates shortcomings that need to be addressed. This study examines secondary data on how these MOOCs platforms operate and surveys why MOOCs are failing on student engagement and motivation. It then looks at some proposed frameworks in the literature that could improve MOOCs and proposes chatbot technology as a possible solution to the shortcomings.

Kaplan, and Haenlein’s, 5Cs framework (Commitment, Challenge, Control, Competition, and Contemporaneous) to drive intrinsic student motivation and 5Cs (Charisma, Competence, Compensation, Competition, and Contribution) for selecting successful online tutors, are identified and used as the base principles, a chatbot tutor must exhibit.

Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) such as the Graduated Prompting Assessment Module of the Web-based Assessment and Test Analyses (GPAM-WATA) and the AutoTutor ITS that use the test-teach-retest approach to provide dynamic assessments and immediate feedback are also studied as an inspiration for the teaching methodology of the chatbot.

The study concludes that the chatbot solution can be implemented either as a complement or an alternative to current MOOCs delivery methods and that chatbots can be seamlessly integrated into existing platforms as a new delivery medium or as assistants in the modules.
It is expected that the novelty, increased levels of interactivity, and simplicity of chatbot technology compared to ITS systems would provide a remedy to boost learner motivation and engagement to reduce learner attrition rates in MOOCs.

Keywords:

Technology, chatbots, e-learning, e-tutoring, innovation, learner engagement, learner motivation, intelligent tutoring systems.