What are the key sucess factors of MOOC platforms?

Abstract

This thesis analyzes key characteristics of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) platforms in order to assess what makes such platforms successful. Three challenges of MOOC platforms were determined from the review of the literature: dropout rates, sustainability and plagiarism. Primary data was gathered from a sample of MOOC platforms, both on the characteristics of the platforms themselves and their internet traffic data. We performed a statistical correlation analysis using Traffic Rank as indicator of platform success, and key characteristics of the platforms. Statistically significant correlations with platform success were found with: platform focus on college education, offering certification, charging fees for courses, enabling online testing, among others. The key characteristics of success identified through our analysis should help platforms overcome the three challenges. Other statistically significant correlations found, such as the importance of the number of partnerships with universities also helped to identify a key strategy that platforms might follow, flipped classrooms, where content from the MOOCs is used by the universities in the physical courses.

Date of Award	7 Nov 2014
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Juan Andrei Villarroel Fernandéz (Supervisor)