Predicting success: How learners' prior knowledge, skills and activities predict MOOC performance

Abstract

While MOOCs have taken the world by storm, questions remain about their pedagogical value and high rates of attrition. In this paper we argue that MOOCs which have open entry and open curriculum structures, place pressure on learners to not only have the requisite knowledge and skills to complete the course, but also the skills to traverse the course in adaptive ways that lead to success. The empirical study presented in the paper investigated the degree to which students' prior knowledge and skills, and their engagement with the MOOC as measured through learning analytics, predict end-of-MOOC performance. The findings indicate that prior knowledge is the most significant predictor of MOOC s..