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A Comparison Between International and US Graduate Students’ Attitudes and Experiences Using Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have affected the pattern of learning in the last few years. Many studies have been conducted to investigate MOOCs' impact on the educational field. In this study, the researcher will compare international and US graduate students' attitudes and experiences when they use MOOCs as a resource for learning. The study used a mixed-method design to collect the data. Quantitative data was compiled by using 79 responses for an online survey, and qualitative data was gathered by 10 semi-structured interviews. Participants in the study were graduate students at Rochester Institute of Technology. They were divided into two groups, international graduate students and US graduate students, who represented the study population. The study finds some similarities and differences between International and US graduate students. One of the obvious similarities is that students in both groups use MOOCs to supplement their learning. Moreover, MOOCs helped students to increase their knowledge in other fields and become more confident to learn new things. There are differences in ways of using MOOCs between international and US graduate students. One of these differences is that international students may use MOOCs to enhance their English proficiency and familiarize themselves to the US educational system before coming to the US. To interpret the high ratio of the drop outs in MOOCs, the researcher believes that students are not aware of the reality of the expression "drop out" in MOOCs or they just ignore participating.
Language: English
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W108727643
Cites: 21
Cited by: 4
Related to: 10