Abstract
When there is interaction within online learning groups, meaningful learning is achieved. Motivating and sustaining effective student interactions requires planning, coordination and implementation of curriculum, pedagogy and technology. For our aim to understand online learning group processes in order to identify effective online learning group mechanisms, comparative analysis was used on a massive open online course (MOOC) run in 2015 and 2016. Qualitative (interaction on the platform) and quantitative (survey) methods were used. The analysis revealed several possible ways to improve group processes. In particular, this paper concludes that course organization helped in increasing individual participation in the groups. Motivation by peers helped to increase sustainability of interaction in the learning groups. Applying these mechanisms in higher education can make online learning groups more effective.
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Acknowledgment
The work reported in this paper was financed by DELP project which is funded by the NORAD. Acknowledgements also go to the University of Agder and Makerere University who are in research partnership.
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Mayende, G., Prinz, A., Isabwe, G.M.N., Muyinda, P.B. (2017). Learning Groups for MOOCs Lessons for Online Learning in Higher Education. In: Auer, M., Guralnick, D., Uhomoibhi, J. (eds) Interactive Collaborative Learning. ICL 2016. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 544. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50337-0_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50337-0_16
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