Eyal Rabin currently works at the Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel. He holds a Ph.D. from The Open University of The Netherlands, Welten Institute. Eyal does research in Educational Technology, the psychology of the Internet users and quantitative social research, learning analytics and educational data mining.
MOOCs are different from formal educational courses in the sense that participants may have diver... more MOOCs are different from formal educational courses in the sense that participants may have diverse goals and expect a variety of different learning outcomes that can be defined by the participants themselves rather than by the course instructors. As a result, the focus of this dissertation in learner-centered outcomes and in their antecedes. The aim of this dissertation was to answer the central research question: How to evaluate learner-centered outcomes and their antecedents in open online education? To address this question, two learner-centered outcomes, namely, learner satisfaction and learner intention-fulfillments were identified as alternative course outcome measures. To guide the research project, five studies were conducted. These five studies defined the theoretical problem and empirically revealed some of the answers using several learning analytics techniques.
This study focuses on identifying the barriers to satisfaction of MOOC participants, and the pred... more This study focuses on identifying the barriers to satisfaction of MOOC participants, and the predictors of these barriers. Five hundred and forty-two English as a Second Language MOOC participants responded to pre- and post-questionnaires. Using exploratory factor analysis three kinds of barriers were identified, namely: ‘Lack of interestingness/relevance’, ‘Lack of time/bad planning’ and ‘Lack of knowledge/technical problem’. The effects of the participant’s age, gender and level of self-efficacy, motivation, self-regulation learning skills and the intention to complete the course were analyzed as predictors of those barriers. Theoretical and practical implications regarding online learner satisfaction are discussed.
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2020
Massive open online course (MOOC) participants face diverse barriers that prevent them from feeli... more Massive open online course (MOOC) participants face diverse barriers that prevent them from feeling satisfied with participating in online courses. This study identified those barriers and their predictors. Using pre- and post-questionnaires, MOOC participants reported several characteristics and their barriers to satisfaction during the course. Exploratory factor analysis identified three kinds of barriers. The effects of participants´ age, gender, level of self-efficacy, motivation, self-regulated learning skills and the intention to complete the course were used as predictors of those barriers to satisfaction. The barrier lack of interestingness/relevance was predicted by the self-regulation indices of self-evaluation, study-strategy and help-seeking. The barrier lack of time/bad planning was predicted by the self-regulation indices of goal setting, time management and study strategy and by the age of the respondent. The barrier lack of knowledge/technical problem was predicted b...
Literature in the field of nanotechnology is exponentially increasing with more and more engineer... more Literature in the field of nanotechnology is exponentially increasing with more and more engineered nanomaterials being created, characterized, and tested for performance and safety. With the deluge of published data, there is a need for natural language processing approaches to semi-automate the cataloguing of engineered nanomaterials and their associated physico-chemical properties, performance, exposure scenarios, and biological effects. In this paper, we review the different informatics methods that have been applied to patent mining, nanomaterial/device characterization, nanomedicine, and environmental risk assessment. Nine natural language processing (NLP)-based tools were identified: NanoPort, NanoMapper, TechPerceptor, a Text Mining Framework, a Nanodevice Analyzer, a Clinical Trial Document Classifier, Nanotoxicity Searcher, NanoSifter, and NEIMiner. We conclude with recommendations for sharing NLP-related tools through online repositories to broaden participation in nanoin...
This study focuses on the power law distributions found on the web and proposes a method to perfo... more This study focuses on the power law distributions found on the web and proposes a method to perform statistical inference on data from such distributions. Beyond describing the state of a community, the power law nature of social interactions can be used to explain some of the variance associated with social behavior. Inference based on data on interval or ratio scales rests on the assumtion that the data is normally distributed. To obtain normal distributions the power law data is logarithmically transformed and subsequently used in a regression model. Data retrieved from the Google Answers service is used as an example. The regression model suggests that participation in the Google Answers information market is catalyzed both by social and by economic incentives with the most influential incentive being tip, a form of socially-driven economic incentive. This type of analytical approach is seldom found in the internet research literature and is hereby recommended as a very useful a...
Centre for Educational Research, University of Koblenz‐Landau (Germany); Infoart, Plodiv (Bulgari... more Centre for Educational Research, University of Koblenz‐Landau (Germany); Infoart, Plodiv (Bulgaria); CINECA ‐ Consorzio Interuniversitario (Italy); Open University of Israel (Israel); The Pedagogical Academy in Łodź (Poland); Barnevakten ‐ Kids and Media (Norway); Actionwork Worldwide Limited (Great Britain).
THE POWER OF ASSUMING NORMALITY Daphne R. Raban, Eyal Rabin University of Haifa Abstract This stu... more THE POWER OF ASSUMING NORMALITY Daphne R. Raban, Eyal Rabin University of Haifa Abstract This study focuses on the power law distributions found on the web and proposes a method to perform statistical inference on data from such distributions. Beyond describing the state of a community, the power law nature of social interactions can be used to explain some of the variance associated with social behavior. Inference based on data on interval or ratio scales rests on the assumtion that the data is normally distributed. To obtain normal distributions the power law data is logarithmically transformed and subsequently used in a regression model. Data retrieved from the Google Answers service is used as an example. The regression model suggests that participation in the Google Answers information market is catalyzed both by social and by economic incentives with the most influential incentive being tip, a form of socially-driven economic incentive. This type of analytical approach is seld...
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a method for statistical inference on data from... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a method for statistical inference on data from power law distributions in order to explain behavior and social phenomena associated with web-based social spaces such as discussion forums, question-and-answer sites, web 2.0 ...
3D Virtual Learning Environments for working with young people. A handbook for Teen Educators. In... more 3D Virtual Learning Environments for working with young people. A handbook for Teen Educators. In this handbook we will examine what 3D virtual worlds are, what evolutionary steps led to their development, what makes them unique and what social impact they have? We will outline what makes 3D virtual worlds interesting for educators, in which ways they can be used for education and where 3D virtual worlds have strengths and limits are. The experiences come are derived from The ABV4Kids project. The ABV4Kids project built on the educational potential 3D VLEs offer. More than other online platforms they give their users a sense of real time involvement, promote new forms of social interaction and give them room for creative processes (cp. Carr, 2008; Salt et al., 2008) what makes them highly attractive for young people. The project explicitly aimed at involving young people in the planning, development and creation of the ABV and its events. Project Partners: Centre for Educational Res...
This study examines whether structured writing about receiving a diagnosis and treatment for pedi... more This study examines whether structured writing about receiving a diagnosis and treatment for pediatric cancer reduces distress among highly distressed parents of children with cancer (PCWC). Eight PCWC completed measures of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depressive symptoms at two baselines, and again after writing, with 1-month gaps between assessments. Using a guided disclosure protocol (GDP), parents were asked to write about receiving the diagnosis first in a chronological manner, then to explicitly label their emotions at the time of diagnosis and explain the impact of the child's illness on their life. Finally, they were asked to reflect on current feelings, future coping ability, and personal growth. Although symptoms of distress did not change between baselines, significant reductions were found in PTSS from the first baseline to postwriting, but not in depression. This preliminary study suggests that the GDP may reduce PTSS in distressed PCWC.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a method for statistical inference on data from... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a method for statistical inference on data from power law distributions in order to explain behavior and social phenomena associated with web-based social spaces such as discussion forums, question-and-answer sites, web 2.0 applications and the like. Design/methodology/approach – The paper starts by highlighting the importance of explaining behavior in social
3D Virtual Learning Environments for working with young people. A handbook for Teen Educators. In... more 3D Virtual Learning Environments for working with young people. A handbook for Teen Educators. In this handbook we will examine what 3D virtual worlds are, what evolutionary steps led to their development, what makes them unique and what social impact they have? We will outline what makes 3D virtual worlds interesting for educators, in which ways they can be used for education and where 3D virtual worlds have strengths and limits are. The experiences come are derived from The ABV4Kids project. The ABV4Kids project built on the educational potential 3D VLEs offer. More than other online platforms they give their users a sense of real time involvement, promote new forms of social interaction and give them room for creative processes (cp. Carr, 2008; Salt et al., 2008) what makes them highly attractive for young people. The project explicitly aimed at involving young people in the planning, development and creation of the ABV and its events. Project Partners: Centre for Educational Res...
What are the barriers to learners’ satisfaction in MOOCs and what predicts them The role of age, intention, self-regulation, self-efficacy and motivation, 2020
Massive open online course (MOOC) participants face diverse barriers that prevent them from feeli... more Massive open online course (MOOC) participants face diverse barriers that prevent them from feeling satisfied with participating in online courses. This study identified those barriers and their predictors. Using pre-and post-questionnaires, MOOC participants reported several characteristics and their barriers to satisfaction during the course. Exploratory factor analysis identified three kinds of barriers. The effects of participants´ age, gender, level of self-efficacy, motivation, self-regulated learning skills and the intention to complete the course were used as predictors of those barriers to satisfaction. The barrier lack of interestingness/relevance was predicted by the self-regulation indices of self-evaluation, study-strategy and help-seeking. The barrier lack of time/bad planning was predicted by the self-regulation indices of goal setting, time management and study strategy and by the age of the respondent. The barrier lack of knowledge/technical problem was predicted by the level of self-efficacy, extrinsic motivation and the self-regulation index of time management, as well as by the behavioural intention to complete the course. Furthermore, an index averaging the extent of the barriers was predicted by the self-regulation indices of goal setting and study strategy, the level of self-efficacy and the level of extrinsic motivation. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in order to help MOOC participants, instructors and designers to enhance learner satisfaction. Implications for practice or policy: • Course developers and online instructors should be aware that participants in MOOCs face a variety of barriers that keep them from being satisfied with the learning process and learning outcomes. • Practitioners should develop specific interventions for young participants and participants with fewer learning experience in MOOCs. • MOOC designers and instructors should develop tailored systems and resources that help MOOC participants to self-regulate their learning process and to improve their self-efficacy.
MOOCs are different from formal educational courses in the sense that participants may have diver... more MOOCs are different from formal educational courses in the sense that participants may have diverse goals and expect a variety of different learning outcomes that can be defined by the participants themselves rather than by the course instructors. As a result, the focus of this dissertation in learner-centered outcomes and in their antecedes. The aim of this dissertation was to answer the central research question: How to evaluate learner-centered outcomes and their antecedents in open online education? To address this question, two learner-centered outcomes, namely, learner satisfaction and learner intention-fulfillments were identified as alternative course outcome measures. To guide the research project, five studies were conducted. These five studies defined the theoretical problem and empirically revealed some of the answers using several learning analytics techniques.
This study focuses on identifying the barriers to satisfaction of MOOC participants, and the pred... more This study focuses on identifying the barriers to satisfaction of MOOC participants, and the predictors of these barriers. Five hundred and forty-two English as a Second Language MOOC participants responded to pre- and post-questionnaires. Using exploratory factor analysis three kinds of barriers were identified, namely: ‘Lack of interestingness/relevance’, ‘Lack of time/bad planning’ and ‘Lack of knowledge/technical problem’. The effects of the participant’s age, gender and level of self-efficacy, motivation, self-regulation learning skills and the intention to complete the course were analyzed as predictors of those barriers. Theoretical and practical implications regarding online learner satisfaction are discussed.
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2020
Massive open online course (MOOC) participants face diverse barriers that prevent them from feeli... more Massive open online course (MOOC) participants face diverse barriers that prevent them from feeling satisfied with participating in online courses. This study identified those barriers and their predictors. Using pre- and post-questionnaires, MOOC participants reported several characteristics and their barriers to satisfaction during the course. Exploratory factor analysis identified three kinds of barriers. The effects of participants´ age, gender, level of self-efficacy, motivation, self-regulated learning skills and the intention to complete the course were used as predictors of those barriers to satisfaction. The barrier lack of interestingness/relevance was predicted by the self-regulation indices of self-evaluation, study-strategy and help-seeking. The barrier lack of time/bad planning was predicted by the self-regulation indices of goal setting, time management and study strategy and by the age of the respondent. The barrier lack of knowledge/technical problem was predicted b...
Literature in the field of nanotechnology is exponentially increasing with more and more engineer... more Literature in the field of nanotechnology is exponentially increasing with more and more engineered nanomaterials being created, characterized, and tested for performance and safety. With the deluge of published data, there is a need for natural language processing approaches to semi-automate the cataloguing of engineered nanomaterials and their associated physico-chemical properties, performance, exposure scenarios, and biological effects. In this paper, we review the different informatics methods that have been applied to patent mining, nanomaterial/device characterization, nanomedicine, and environmental risk assessment. Nine natural language processing (NLP)-based tools were identified: NanoPort, NanoMapper, TechPerceptor, a Text Mining Framework, a Nanodevice Analyzer, a Clinical Trial Document Classifier, Nanotoxicity Searcher, NanoSifter, and NEIMiner. We conclude with recommendations for sharing NLP-related tools through online repositories to broaden participation in nanoin...
This study focuses on the power law distributions found on the web and proposes a method to perfo... more This study focuses on the power law distributions found on the web and proposes a method to perform statistical inference on data from such distributions. Beyond describing the state of a community, the power law nature of social interactions can be used to explain some of the variance associated with social behavior. Inference based on data on interval or ratio scales rests on the assumtion that the data is normally distributed. To obtain normal distributions the power law data is logarithmically transformed and subsequently used in a regression model. Data retrieved from the Google Answers service is used as an example. The regression model suggests that participation in the Google Answers information market is catalyzed both by social and by economic incentives with the most influential incentive being tip, a form of socially-driven economic incentive. This type of analytical approach is seldom found in the internet research literature and is hereby recommended as a very useful a...
Centre for Educational Research, University of Koblenz‐Landau (Germany); Infoart, Plodiv (Bulgari... more Centre for Educational Research, University of Koblenz‐Landau (Germany); Infoart, Plodiv (Bulgaria); CINECA ‐ Consorzio Interuniversitario (Italy); Open University of Israel (Israel); The Pedagogical Academy in Łodź (Poland); Barnevakten ‐ Kids and Media (Norway); Actionwork Worldwide Limited (Great Britain).
THE POWER OF ASSUMING NORMALITY Daphne R. Raban, Eyal Rabin University of Haifa Abstract This stu... more THE POWER OF ASSUMING NORMALITY Daphne R. Raban, Eyal Rabin University of Haifa Abstract This study focuses on the power law distributions found on the web and proposes a method to perform statistical inference on data from such distributions. Beyond describing the state of a community, the power law nature of social interactions can be used to explain some of the variance associated with social behavior. Inference based on data on interval or ratio scales rests on the assumtion that the data is normally distributed. To obtain normal distributions the power law data is logarithmically transformed and subsequently used in a regression model. Data retrieved from the Google Answers service is used as an example. The regression model suggests that participation in the Google Answers information market is catalyzed both by social and by economic incentives with the most influential incentive being tip, a form of socially-driven economic incentive. This type of analytical approach is seld...
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a method for statistical inference on data from... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a method for statistical inference on data from power law distributions in order to explain behavior and social phenomena associated with web-based social spaces such as discussion forums, question-and-answer sites, web 2.0 ...
3D Virtual Learning Environments for working with young people. A handbook for Teen Educators. In... more 3D Virtual Learning Environments for working with young people. A handbook for Teen Educators. In this handbook we will examine what 3D virtual worlds are, what evolutionary steps led to their development, what makes them unique and what social impact they have? We will outline what makes 3D virtual worlds interesting for educators, in which ways they can be used for education and where 3D virtual worlds have strengths and limits are. The experiences come are derived from The ABV4Kids project. The ABV4Kids project built on the educational potential 3D VLEs offer. More than other online platforms they give their users a sense of real time involvement, promote new forms of social interaction and give them room for creative processes (cp. Carr, 2008; Salt et al., 2008) what makes them highly attractive for young people. The project explicitly aimed at involving young people in the planning, development and creation of the ABV and its events. Project Partners: Centre for Educational Res...
This study examines whether structured writing about receiving a diagnosis and treatment for pedi... more This study examines whether structured writing about receiving a diagnosis and treatment for pediatric cancer reduces distress among highly distressed parents of children with cancer (PCWC). Eight PCWC completed measures of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depressive symptoms at two baselines, and again after writing, with 1-month gaps between assessments. Using a guided disclosure protocol (GDP), parents were asked to write about receiving the diagnosis first in a chronological manner, then to explicitly label their emotions at the time of diagnosis and explain the impact of the child's illness on their life. Finally, they were asked to reflect on current feelings, future coping ability, and personal growth. Although symptoms of distress did not change between baselines, significant reductions were found in PTSS from the first baseline to postwriting, but not in depression. This preliminary study suggests that the GDP may reduce PTSS in distressed PCWC.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a method for statistical inference on data from... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a method for statistical inference on data from power law distributions in order to explain behavior and social phenomena associated with web-based social spaces such as discussion forums, question-and-answer sites, web 2.0 applications and the like. Design/methodology/approach – The paper starts by highlighting the importance of explaining behavior in social
3D Virtual Learning Environments for working with young people. A handbook for Teen Educators. In... more 3D Virtual Learning Environments for working with young people. A handbook for Teen Educators. In this handbook we will examine what 3D virtual worlds are, what evolutionary steps led to their development, what makes them unique and what social impact they have? We will outline what makes 3D virtual worlds interesting for educators, in which ways they can be used for education and where 3D virtual worlds have strengths and limits are. The experiences come are derived from The ABV4Kids project. The ABV4Kids project built on the educational potential 3D VLEs offer. More than other online platforms they give their users a sense of real time involvement, promote new forms of social interaction and give them room for creative processes (cp. Carr, 2008; Salt et al., 2008) what makes them highly attractive for young people. The project explicitly aimed at involving young people in the planning, development and creation of the ABV and its events. Project Partners: Centre for Educational Res...
What are the barriers to learners’ satisfaction in MOOCs and what predicts them The role of age, intention, self-regulation, self-efficacy and motivation, 2020
Massive open online course (MOOC) participants face diverse barriers that prevent them from feeli... more Massive open online course (MOOC) participants face diverse barriers that prevent them from feeling satisfied with participating in online courses. This study identified those barriers and their predictors. Using pre-and post-questionnaires, MOOC participants reported several characteristics and their barriers to satisfaction during the course. Exploratory factor analysis identified three kinds of barriers. The effects of participants´ age, gender, level of self-efficacy, motivation, self-regulated learning skills and the intention to complete the course were used as predictors of those barriers to satisfaction. The barrier lack of interestingness/relevance was predicted by the self-regulation indices of self-evaluation, study-strategy and help-seeking. The barrier lack of time/bad planning was predicted by the self-regulation indices of goal setting, time management and study strategy and by the age of the respondent. The barrier lack of knowledge/technical problem was predicted by the level of self-efficacy, extrinsic motivation and the self-regulation index of time management, as well as by the behavioural intention to complete the course. Furthermore, an index averaging the extent of the barriers was predicted by the self-regulation indices of goal setting and study strategy, the level of self-efficacy and the level of extrinsic motivation. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in order to help MOOC participants, instructors and designers to enhance learner satisfaction. Implications for practice or policy: • Course developers and online instructors should be aware that participants in MOOCs face a variety of barriers that keep them from being satisfied with the learning process and learning outcomes. • Practitioners should develop specific interventions for young participants and participants with fewer learning experience in MOOCs. • MOOC designers and instructors should develop tailored systems and resources that help MOOC participants to self-regulate their learning process and to improve their self-efficacy.
Transforming Learning with Meaningful Technologies – 14th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning, EC-TEL 2019, Delft, NL, September 16-19, 2019, Proceedings, 2019
This study focuses on identifying the barriers to satisfaction of MOOC participants, and the pred... more This study focuses on identifying the barriers to satisfaction of MOOC participants, and the predictors of these barriers. Five hundred and forty-two Eng-lish as a Second Language MOOC participants responded to pre-and post-questionnaires. Using exploratory factor analysis three kinds of barriers were identified , namely: 'Lack of interestingness/relevance', 'Lack of time/bad planning' and 'Lack of knowledge/technical problem'. The effects of the participant's age, gender and level of self-efficacy, motivation, self-regulation learning skills and the intention to complete the course were analyzed as predictors of those barriers. Theoretical and practical implications regarding online learner satisfaction are discussed.
Transforming Learning with Meaningful Technologies – 14th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning, EC-TEL 2019, Delft, NL, September 16-19, 2019, Proceedings, 2019
Learners join MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) with a variety of intentions. The fulfillment o... more Learners join MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) with a variety of intentions. The fulfillment of these initial intentions is an important success criterion in self-paced and open courses. Using post course self-reported data enabled us to divide the participants to those who fulfilled the initial intentions (high-IF) and those who did not fulfill their initial intentions (low-IF). We used methods adapted from natural language processing (NLP) to analyze the learning paths of 462 MOOC participants and to identify activities and activity sequences of participants in the two groups. Specifically, we used n-gram analysis to identify learning activity sequences and keyness analysis to identify prominent learning activities. These measures enable us to identify the differences between the two groups. Differences can be seen at the level of single activities, but major differences were found when longer n-grams were used. The high-IF group showed more consistency and less divergent learning behavior. High-IF was associated , among other things, with study patterns of sequentially watching video lectures. Theoretical and practical suggestions are introduced in order to help MOOC developers and participants to fulfill the participants' learning intentions.
KM Conference 2019: Knowledge Management, Learning, Information Technology, 2019
Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) are critiqued for their high dropout rates and low percentage... more Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) are critiqued for their high dropout rates and low percentage of certificate earners (Reich et al., 2019). Henderikx et al. (2017) and Rabin et al. (2018) questioned the validity of these criteria for evaluating the success of this new form of lifelong learning. They claim that the success of lifelong learning in MOOCs should be evaluated not through traditional instructor-focused assessments, but rather through non-formal learner-centered assessments, such as the learner's self-evaluation. Perceived achievement (PA) is a self-evaluation measure in which learners themselves estimate their level of achievement following a knowledge construction process. It was found to be a reliable and valid self-assessment measure of learning outcomes (Ross, 2006). The goal of this study was to predict the learner-centered outcome measure, namely PA, by analyzing the learning process of the participants. We focus on ten main activities harvested from log files of 445 participants in a MOOC on English for academic purposes. A self-report post-course questionnaire was used to identify the learners' level of PA with a single item ranging from 0 to 10. Each participant was assigned into one of two groups – High PA or Low PA. We then used two natural language processing techniques: keyness and n-gram analyses, to examine the differences between the activities' saliency and sequential characteristics of the two groups. The results suggest that the learning processes of the high-PA group are more predictable and with less dispersion compared to the low-PA group. Those results can help to develop personalized learning environments encouraging students to learn according to their personal knowledge construction.
References: Henderikx, M. A., Kreijns, K., & Kalz, M. (2017). Refining success and dropout in massive open online courses based on the intention–behavior gap. Distance Education, 38(3), 353-368. Rabin, E., Kalman, Y. M., & Kalz, M. (2018). Predicting learner-centered MOOC outcomes: Satisfaction and intention-fulfillment. In Proceedings of the 13th Chais Conference for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies: Learning in the Technological Era (pp. 158–166), Raanana: The Open University of Israel. Reich, J., & Ruipérez-Valiente, J. A. (2019). The MOOC pivot. Science, 363(6423), 130-131. Ross J. A. (2006). The reliability, validity, and utility of self-assessment. Practical Assessment Research & Evaluation, 11(10). Available at: http://pareonline.net/pdf/v11n10.pdf
Will open education replace traditional higher education (HE), or augment it? The changes in the ... more Will open education replace traditional higher education (HE), or augment it? The changes in the HE sector due to digital innovation led to many predictions about the future role of universities. According to some predictions, the digital revolution will disrupt and eventually destruct the traditional university business model through free open educational resources (OERs). In this paper we question the basic assumptions of those predictions. In order to do that, we propose an analytic tool for understanding the effect of digital innovation on business models in the HE sector. This approach uses Raymond's (Raymond, 1999) metaphor of the bazaar and the cathedral, which contrasted traditional commercial software development (the cathedral) with open source software development (the bazaar). We analogize this relationship with the relationship between "cathedral-type" business models in traditional HE (e.g. universities) and "bazaar-type" business models in open education (e.g. open educational resource publishers), and use the historical perspective we now have on the software industry to critique the ubiquitous narrative of destruction and disruption in the HE sector, and to propose an alternative narrative of interdependence and mutual innovative catalysis.
The goal of this research was to understand the predictors of two important learner-centered outc... more The goal of this research was to understand the predictors of two important learner-centered outcome measures of success in massive open online courses (MOOCs): learner satisfaction and learner intention-fulfillment. In contrast with previous studies which focused on the fulfillment of the course developers' intentions and placed retention and completion rates as the ultimate outcome measures, these two outcomes are more appropriate for measuring success in the non-formal lifelong learning context. Combining data from self-report surveys and actual behaviour, a total number of 125 MOOC participants answered a pre-and a post-questionnaire and their behavioral measurements were harvested from the log-files of the course. Using structural equation modeling enables to see the effect of the independent variables included in the study-demographic and educational background, outcome beliefs, online self-regulation learning, learners behaviour and perceived course usability. The results suggest that participant gender, his/her number of weekly quizzes taken and the length of participation in the course affect the perception of individual intention-fulfilment, while the number of lectures that the participants took affect the level of course satisfaction. Positive outcome beliefs, the ability to regulate the learning by setting goals and the perceived usability of the course affected the level of intention-fulfilment and course satisfaction.
MOOCs are different from formal educational courses in the sense that participants may have diver... more MOOCs are different from formal educational courses in the sense that participants may have diverse goals and expect a variety of different learning outcomes that can be defined by the participants themselves rather than by the course instructors. As a result, the focus of this dissertation in learner-centered outcomes and in their antecedes. The aim of this dissertation was to answer the central research question: How to evaluate learner-centered outcomes and their antecedents in open online education? To address this question, two learner-centered outcomes, namely, learner satisfaction and learner intention-fulfillments were identified as alternative course outcome measures. To guide the research project, five studies were conducted. These five studies defined the theoretical problem and empirically revealed some of the answers using several learning analytics techniques.
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Papers by Eyal Rabin
Keywords:
Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), perceived achievements, keyness analysis, n-gram analysis, learning process.
References:
Henderikx, M. A., Kreijns, K., & Kalz, M. (2017). Refining success and dropout in massive open online courses based on the intention–behavior gap. Distance Education, 38(3), 353-368.
Rabin, E., Kalman, Y. M., & Kalz, M. (2018). Predicting learner-centered MOOC outcomes: Satisfaction and intention-fulfillment. In Proceedings of the 13th Chais Conference for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies: Learning in the Technological Era (pp. 158–166), Raanana: The Open University of Israel.
Reich, J., & Ruipérez-Valiente, J. A. (2019). The MOOC pivot. Science, 363(6423), 130-131. Ross J. A. (2006). The reliability, validity, and utility of self-assessment. Practical Assessment Research & Evaluation, 11(10). Available at: http://pareonline.net/pdf/v11n10.pdf
The aim of this dissertation was to answer the central research question: How to evaluate learner-centered outcomes and their antecedents in open online education? To address this question, two learner-centered outcomes, namely, learner satisfaction and learner intention-fulfillments were identified as alternative course outcome measures.
To guide the research project, five studies were conducted. These five studies defined the theoretical problem and empirically revealed some of the answers using several learning analytics techniques.