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This survey aims to find out about your views on some of the barriers and opportunities encountered by adults in using MOOCs for professional development.

The information provided in the study will be used in the development of my digital dissertation for an MSc in Blended and Online Learning at Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland. The study aims to generate a set of recommendations, aimed specifically at public sector CPD providers in least developing countries who are expected to have access to the required technology for MOOCs in the next decade (United Nations, 2015).

It will take you approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Please note:

All information gathered through this survey will be kept confidential, and data will be anonymized so that files contain no information that could be linked to any participant.

All and any participation in this study is voluntary. Refusal to participate will not incur any penalty. You may discontinue participation at any time throughout the study without penalty or without having to give a reason for termination.

Thank you.

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5.4. Do you find the possibility to connect with co-learners online is exciting?

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5.4. Do you find the possibility to connect with co-learners online is exciting?

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In relation to activities such as asynchronous discussion forums, which are accepted by educators as an activity that promotes reflection beyond just consuming information from the screen, the question on whether people believed the possibility to connect and discuss issues with fellow learners on MOOCs is exciting, received the following opinions: Strongly agree (1); Disagree (3); Undecided (5); Agree (31); Strongly agree (10). However, it must be remembered again that these opinions were given by a group of people familiar with MOOCs, as participation in discussion forums is not generally high. (Click to enlarge chart)

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5.3. Do you think it is necessary make a study plan to succeed in a MOOC?

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5.3. Do you think it is necessary make a study plan to succeed in a MOOC?

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In terms of how people understand their role as a learner on a MOOC, the first question revealed that most people agree (26) or strongly agree (9) that you need to make a study plan to allocate sufficient time to completing a MOOC. A participant in the discussion forum agreed that” learners really have to plan and schedule, as much as is possible/practical”. This understanding of the responsibility of learners beyond the class room is quite advanced, and given that these people had already advanced to the final stages of a MOOC, supports the claim by Kop et al. (2001) that people need to understand their responsibilities as self-directed learners in online courses. (Click to enlarge chart)

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5.2. Do you think you can learn as well on MOOCs as through in-person instruction?

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5.2. Do you think you can learn as well on MOOCs as through in-person instruction?

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In response to the question asking if people believed you can learn as well on a MOOC as through in-person instruction, 50 people responded as follows: Strongly disagree (2); Disagree (8); Undecided (14); Agree (19); Strongly agree (7).
This data contrasts with the claim by Harden (2012) that one of the biggest barriers to mainstreaming online learning is the perception that learners don't learn as well from a computer as they do through face to face instruction, but it must be remembered that the people surveyed are already familiar with online learning and MOOCs, and not necessarily representative of the wider population.

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5.1. How confident are you using technology for learning

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5.1. How confident are you using technology for learning

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The majority of respondents in the survey said they agreed (15) or Strongly agreed (30) they were confident using technology for learning. Again, it must be remembered that these people were already familiar with MOOCs and do not necessarily represent the entire population. (Click to enlarge chart)

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4.3. Does it matter to you where a MOOC is made?

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4.3. Does it matter to you where a MOOC is made?

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In terms of contextualization of MOOCs, only 8 of 50 respondents would prefer to do a MOOC that was developed in their own area/country, while 41 said they didn’t mind where it was developed and 1 had no preference. Comments reflected the view that the most important thing is the quality of the learning material. One respondent stated a clear preference for internationally-developed MOOCs: “Very eye opening to learn from professors in different cultural contexts” and other comments included “Better to access international best practice” and “I think that multi-lingual videos and resources should be the MOOC standard rather than an exception”.
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4.2. Is it difficult to participate in MOOCs in English?

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4.2. Is it difficult to participate in MOOCs in English?

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46 people said that participating in an English-language MOOC was “not a problem”, while 3 said it is generally fine for watching videos and reading but makes it more difficult to participate in discussion forums, and one said that “Writing in English takes more time than writing in first language, and sometimes it is difficult to formulate”. (Click to enlarge chart)

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4.1. The language I am most comfortable in:

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4.1. The language I am most comfortable in:

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50 respondents to this question said they,  felt comfortable in a combined total of 8 languages.
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3.4. Affordability of data plans for MOOCs

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3.4. Affordability of data plans for MOOCs

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With regard to affordability of accessing the internet,  where only one respondent to the survey said it was a luxury they couldn’t afford,  6 said it is something they can just about afford, while a majority (43) said accessing the internet for doing a MOOC is something they can quite easily afford.
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3.3. Who pays for the data plans for doing MOOCs?

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3.3. Who pays for the data plans for doing MOOCs?

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The devices I have access to for doing MOOCs

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The devices I have access to for doing MOOCs

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Of the 49 people who responded to this question, most used their own PC (28) or their own mobile device (6); while others used either a PC owned by their employer (12); or a mobile device owned by my employer (2), while another person used different devices depending on the type of course they were doing “I tend to do my reading on the iPad and my videoing watching and note taking on the iMac”.

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50 people rated the quality of their internet connection as follows: Excellent (25); Very good: (14); Mostly good (8); Poor (2); Other (1).
Considering that all except 4 respondents come from countries ranked in the top 30 in the ICT development index (ITU, 2016), this is very much a developed country perspective. One participant in the discussion forum acknowledge that access to technology will have to be “overcome before we might consider our courses available for all”. (Click to enlarge chart)

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Do you work in an area that is mostly urban or mostly rural?

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Do you work in an area that is mostly urban or mostly rural?

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3. BARRIERS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR USING MOOCS

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3. BARRIERS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR USING MOOCS

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5. UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF A LEARNER ON MOOCS

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5. UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF A LEARNER ON MOOCS