Behavioral Predictors of MOOC Post-Course Development

Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) have shown potential for promoting learning at scale. A plethora of studies have tapped into in-course learner behaviors to predict learner success. Yet few studies have looked to the relation between performance and engagement during the course and career development after the course. As such, the present study collected and analyzed both in-course data reflecting learner achievement and engagement in a postgraduate-level MOOC, as well as post-course career development. The goal of this research is to examine how career advancers differ from the rest of learners in terms of their performance and engagement within the course. Results showed that career advancers earned better scores and were more likely to complete the course. Career advancers also engaged more frequently with all key course components such as course pages, lecture videos, assignment submissions, and discussion forums. However, while they read the forums, they were not significantly more likely to post, comment, or vote.