Learners’ perspectives on MOOC design

Abstract The purpose of this paper was to examine learners’ perspectives on massive open online course (MOOC) design. For the past decade, there has been substantial discussion on the design aspects and instructional quality of MOOCs. However, research investigating MOOC design from learners’ perspectives is rarely conducted. Understanding MOOC learners’ perspectives regarding MOOC design can bring useful insights to researchers and practitioners for the growth and success of MOOCs. Through exploratory factor analysis of 209 learners of a MOOC, this study identified four MOOC design dimensions that the learners value: human interactions, navigation, professional development, and course workload. In addition, the study found that learner characteristics such as learners’ age and the type of goals learners bring to the MOOCs are related to what they value in MOOC design. Expanding our understanding of MOOC design, implications for future research and practice for designing a MOOC are discussed.