Can a diversity statement increase diversity in MOOCs?

Abstract

Despite the fact that anyone can sign up for open online courses, their enrollment patterns reflect the historical underrepresentation of certain sociodemographic groups (e.g. women in STEM disciplines). We theorize that enrollment choices online are shaped by contextual cues that activate stereotypes about numeric representation and climate in brick-and-mortar institutions. A longitudinal matched-pairs experiment with 14 MOOCs (N=29,000) tested this theory by manipulating the presence of a diversity statement on course pages and measuring effects on who enrolls. We found a 3% increase in the proportion of students with lower socioeconomic status. The effect size varied across courses between -0.5 and 7 percentage points. No significant changes in enrollment patterns by gender, age, and national development level occurred. Implications for the use and content of diversity statements and their alternatives are discussed.