Few practice-oriented courses are currently integrated into online learning platforms, such as OpenCourseWare, Khan Academy, and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). It is worthwhile to explore how learners respond to information technology and new teaching methods when practice-oriented course are placed online. Therefore, this study probes learner willingness to participate in a practice-oriented course distributed through a MOOC platform, investigating relationships among perceptions, behavioural intentions, and actual behaviour. The current research framework integrates the Technology Acceptance Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior as its core theoretical basis. Empirical data were collected through a cross-section survey. All participants were students of 2D Animation Production, with a total of 272 respondents. The questionnaire data used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis. Results show: (a) attitude exerted the greatest influence on learners’ behavioural intention; (b) learners’ perceived behaviour control, subjective norm, and attitude, which directly and positively influence their behavioural intention; (c) behavioural intention exhibited dual mediation effects; (d) behavioural intention positively influenced actual behaviour in the C-TAM-TPB model, with a high level of overall model fit.

Over the past decade, great progress has been made in improving the quality and availability of Open Educational Resources (OER). OER proponents often discuss the ability for users to revise and remix OER to make them more suitable for local contexts; however, much OER goes unmodified. This note from the field examines the efforts of NetEase Online Open Courses, a Chinese organization, to take more than two thousand Khan Academy videos and translate them into Chinese. We provide background on this initiative and also analyze site metrics to determine what type of use these derivative OER have received.

The goal of this study was to gain in-depth understanding about nonnative English-speaking students’ lived experiences with massive open online courses (MOOCs) in a regular college classroom. Phenomenological methodology was used to examine those experiences in 24 Korean college students. Individual interviews, an open-ended online survey, observation notes, online weekly journal entries, and social media constituted the data sources. Findings show that students’ lived experiences included (a) wonder and interest, (b) novel learning and teaching practices, (c) preference for video style, (d) learning strategies, (e) motivation to learn, and (f) need for face-to-face interaction. Implications for integrating a MOOC into a regular college course are also presented.

To fully understand the phenomenon of massive open online courses (MOOCs), it is important to identify and map trends and patterns in research on MOOCs. This study does so by reviewing 362 empirical articles published in peer-reviewed journals from 2008 to 2015. For the purpose of this study, content analysis and discourse analysis were employed to analyze the articles. Accordingly, the trend line showing the number of articles per year indicates that the extent of research on MOOCs is likely to increase in the coming years. In terms of research areas, the findings reveal an imbalance and three research areas out of fifteen constitute more than half of all research on MOOCs. With regard to types of MOOCs, related literature is dominated by research on xMOOCs. The discourse in MOOC articles takes a mostly neutral standpoint, articles with a positive outlook outweigh those that are negative, and there is an increase in a more critical discourse. Theoretical or conceptual studies are preferred by researchers, although MOOC research generally does not benefit from being viewed through theoretical or conceptual lenses.

During this age of data proliferation, heavy reliance is placed on data visualisation to support users in making sense of vast quantities of information. Informational Dashboards have become the must have accoutrement for Higher Education institutions with various stakeholders jostling for development priority. Due to the time pressure and user demands, the focus of development process is often on designing for each stakeholder and the visual and navigational aspects. Dashboards are designed to make data visually appealing and easy to relate and understand; unfortunately this may mask data issues and create an impression of rigour where it is not justified. This article proposes that the underlying logic behind current dashboard development is limited in the flexibility, scalability, and responsiveness required in the demanding landscape of Big Data and Analytics and explores an alternative approach to data visualisation and sense making. It suggests that the first step required to address these issues is the development of an enriched database which integrates key indicators from various data sources. The database is designed for problem exploration allowing users freedom in navigating between various data-levels, which can then be overlaid with any user interface for dashboard generation for a multitude of stakeholders. Dashboards merely become tools providing users and indication of types of data available for exploration. A Design Research approach is shown, along with a case study to illustrate the benefits, showcasing various views developed for diverse stakeholders employing this approach, specifically the the Digital Decision Network Application (DigitalDNA) employed at Unisa.