TO MOOC OR NOT TO MOOC: A MULTIPLE METHOD EVALUATION OF FACE-TO-FACE AND MOOC HYBRID IN AN UNDERGRADUATE ENVIRONMENT

Advancement in technology has facilitated the proliferation of educational tools and platforms to allow instructors to design hybrid courses to stimulate student success. Though Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are designed mainly as standalone, online courses, a new format emerging in higher education is the combination of MOOC with traditional university courses for a blended course design. One of the primary goals of such an approach is to enhance student learning and ultimately student success and satisfaction. However, little research exists on the implementation experiences and the challenges with this hybrid design.

For several years a Jamaican university has offered an introductory Data Mining course to the students in its undergraduate Computing programme. Prior course evaluation feedback indicates that students would like to have more interesting and stimulating sessions. In addition the School is considering expanding its course offerings in the subject area. Such an undertaking will require the commitment of additional resources and questions have arisen about how best to undertake such a development. This study will pilot and test a hybrid face-to-face and MOOC offering of the current course. Feedback from the pilot will give directive as to how to optimally implement and design new course offerings. In addition the pilot may provide a means of enhancing the current course.

This study uses a multiple method approach to evaluate the implementation of the offering in terms of student engagement, student knowledge and MOOC system usability. Both qualitative and quantitative data are collected for this study. The method involves the collection of data from student participants using validated questionnaires, focus group discussions and the acquisition of student usage data of the MOOC. Detailed statistical analysis of the students’ engagement and MOOC usage will be conducted. In addition, text mining analysis of the students’ forum and assessment feedback will be performed to evaluate students’ knowledge.

Preliminary findings indicate that students are satisfied with the MOOC and face to face course implementation and are experiencing little challenges with the online material. However, the students’ rate of completion of the online material and assessments is slow. This is in keeping with prior MOOC research. More detailed findings will be available as the course progresses.

When combined with undergraduate programs MOOCs offer the potential for change and collaboration and an opportunity to enhance learning. Such change when carefully assessed can provide valuable information on how to enhance courses and leverage resources, thereby providing an optimal environment for undergraduate student education. The results of this study may be useful to educational stakeholders contemplating the implementation of a hybrid approach to course offerings.