Analyzing Large Collections of Open-Ended Feedback From MOOC Learners Using LDA Topic Modeling and Qualitative Analysis

There is a large variation in background and purpose of massive open online course (MOOC) learners. To improve the overall MOOC learning experience, it is important to identify which MOOC characteristics are most important for learners. For this purpose, in this article, we analyzed about 150 000 open-ended learner responses from 810 MOOCs to three postcourse survey questions about their learning experience: (Q1) What was your most favorite part and why? (Q2) What your least favorite part and why? (Q3) How could the course be improved? We used the latent Dirichlet allocation topic model to identify prominent topics present in learner responses to each question. We determined the theme of each identified topic through qualitative analysis. Our results show that the following aspects of MOOCs can significantly impact the learning experience: quality of course content, accurate description of prerequisites and required time commitment in course syllabus, quality of assessment and feedback, meaningful interaction with peers and educators, engaging instructor and videos, accessibility of learning materials, and usability of platform.

I. Introduction

Over the past few years, massive open online courses (MOOCs) have increasingly become a popular medium for learning due to their easy access to interested learners and growing recognition by universities and employers [1], [2]. Learners enroll in MOOCs with different motivations such as fulfilling current needs, preparing for the future, satisfying curiosity, and connecting with people [3]. MOOCs have been successful in providing access to content to many learners. However, many learners who start a MOOC indicating an intent to complete the MOOC do not finish the MOOC dropping out after few weeks [1], [4]. As there is a large variation in the background and learning objectives of MOOC learners, the definition of success in a MOOC varies considerably for different learners [5]. While it may be difficult to build a fit-all design for a MOOC for different types of learners, there are certainly broader improvement opportunities in MOOCs, through which the learning experience can be enhanced for most learners. To identify these opportunities, it is important to understand which MOOC characteristics matter the most to different types of learners and prioritize improvement efforts accordingly. Learner-generated MOOC reviews are an important source of information to understand what is working well in the current system and what could be improved [6].