The experience of secondary students studying MOOCs

: a case study of a teacher-student mentoring programme in Hong Kong

Abstract

This thesis reports on a mixed-methods case study examining the experiences and support of secondary school students engaged in a school-based massive open online course (MOOC) mentorship programme in Hong Kong. It describes the students’ perceived experiences regarding school-based mentoring support they received and how mentoring impacted their experience in studying MOOCs. While the benefits of different forms of mentoring support in the secondary school context have been established, few studies have focused on the specific factors that impact the perceived effectiveness of MOOC mentorship from the point of view of the mentees. Therefore, this study is one of the first to investigate students’ perspectives on a MOOC mentorship programme and how it impacts their ways of studying MOOCs and plans for their future.

To investigate learners’ experience in MOOCs and how the Hong Kong school-based mentorship programme impacted their MOOC experiences and future plans, Vygotsky’s (1978) concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD), the scaffolding theory of Jerome Bruner (Wood et al., 1976), and the self-determination theory of Deci and Ryan (2010) serve as the theoretical underpinnings in this study. This study reveals that self-determination theory is a viable theory for further understanding students’ motivation to take MOOCs. A wide range of choices for MOOCs, scheduling autonomy, and flexibility of working on MOOCs on mobile phones are major factors contribute to participants’ enjoyment of MOOCs, and these factors moderate the autonomy practices of self-determined learning. Mixed results were generated in this study regarding competence and relatedness of self-determination theory. Subject competence and time management skills were significant factors in motivating respondents’ continued participation in MOOCs. The four-stage model (Tharp & Gallimore, 1988), with reference to Vygotsky's sociocultural theories, also provides a framework to illuminate how mentoring and other support offered by the school helped them reach the ZPD. The findings show problem-solving experiences encouraged learners to actively seek support, develop abilities, and adapt themselves to the learning process. The process of learning is not straightforward, because the MOOC students constantly moved back and forth, to and from the sources of scaffolding when they studied MOOCs, particularly when they faced new challenges.

The MOOC completion rate for the mentorship programme in this study (45%) is higher than the average completion of MOOCs (5%–15%). This signifies that under the supervision of mentors and the other academic support offered by the school, students might be better equipped to finish MOOCs. In terms of the impact of MOOC mentoring on students’ future plans, students’ interest in the MOOCs offered by the university have the most impact on participants’ decisions regarding their tertiary education, followed by the recognition of MOOC verified certificates. Based on the results of the individual interviews, unexpected findings regarding the impact on students’ careers and employability can also be highlighted. Some students also used extra credentials attained from MOOC to gain an edge in their university applications.

The dissertation concludes by highlighting the contributions arising from the research, followed by the limitations of the present study and proposals for future research. Recommendations for practitioners in the field of MOOC mentoring in the secondary school context are also provided.

Date of Award	21 Jun 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Sally B Barnes (Supervisor) & Jennifer M K Rowsell (Supervisor)