Open and Distance Education/Distance learners and learner support/3. Future Learner Support for MOOC Learning

The characteristics of MOOC learners are becoming diverse. Also, MOOC is an excellent choice for MOOC learners seeking lifelong learning. However, unique features of MOOC learners are facing various challenging criticisms. Such as the low completion rate of courses, the set of reasons for dropout courses, and no insistence on gaining a certificate, etc.

The future course design of MOOC should meet needs of a learner who wants to improve autonomy and self-efficacy when taking a course on MOOCs. The current situation is MOOC learner may engage a course actively or refuse a course regarding personal preferences. In the future, MOOC learners are expected to construct a characteristic which is essential to choose a MOOC. They will also engage when the course design induces them into a free but responsible choice (Mackness et al., 2013; Rodriguez, 2013). Therefore, they will make sure they understand the course objectives, the outcomes, the technical and cognitive process of learning before engaging. That will help them to avoid any dropout during the course. On the contrary, that would be an adventure for MOOC providers. Nevertheless, the success of such learner depends on the instructional designers of MOOC. They need to conduct a thorough need assessment to respect the autonomy of such learner and engage his responsibility.

Another critical characteristic of future learners is their communicative, collaborative, and participatory dimension within a community of diverse learners. Rodriguez (2013) pointed out that the engagement and participation of learners are sharpened when the design strategy offers a sufficient space or platform to learners: “autonomy, diversity, openness, and interactivity.” According to the author, future learners will come from different background, but they will accept and support one another while demanding to have more autonomy, more interaction, and more responsibility to engage the course. Through their community, they will take control of MOOCs. The courses will be designed according to the specific needs of their community.

Also, some researchers namely Mackness et al., (2013) found that an innovative characteristic of future MOOCs learners will be their willingness to support other inexperienced learners who find confusion to go through the course. They will be open to be an instructor. They try to help peers or novices to enjoy the learning process they have experienced on MOOCs. According to Farraj Alshehri, this type of support is a “new dimension of MOOCs which might not be known to researchers yet” (Alshehri, 2015; Mackness et al., 2013; Rodriguez, 2013)

Besides, analyzing the accessibility, inequality, and exclusion of learners on web education is the globalization trend. Spronk (2001) stated that distance education is about “feeding excellent courses to learners anywhere in the world,” but "who are these learners and where in the world are they likely to be?” He argued these “excellent courses” are designing for learners already well educated (Spronk, 2001). They are provided with high-speed internet facilities. They easily access the technology, well experienced and have money. Spronk (2001) stated: “Given the requirements, we are in fact talking about a very thin slice the world’s population who are eligible to be learners in the world of web education.” Prospective learners of MOOCs may be free of any form of isolation and exclusion. The opportunities to access MOOCs should focus on equity and promote diversity. Leaner support given by MOOC provider are also very essential to upgrade.

Institutions define Learners support regarding the quality and the quantity of service for their learners. Some researchers have limited it into two types of supports (technical and study skill support) (Morrison, 2014) which mentioned above, whereas others have distinguished four different support categories or five (Keast, 1997). But, previous learner support was applied in the beginning stage of MOOC. What learner support might be highlighted in the future is needed to analyze.

First support for the learner is the quality of course design which takes into account the needs and the skills of the learners. The course designer of MOOCs should be careful in developing courses. They need to consider any parameter of learners’ needs which include the current skills of learners, their socio-cultural background, what are they hoping to do in a short, mid, and long-term with the future capabilities, etc. Reiser & Dempsey (2007) discussed that delicate role of instructional designers solicited a position of facilitators rather than course developers.

The second support is promoting cost-effectiveness. In MOOCs, cost-effectiveness has two aspects: the cost for learners is almost free, but the cost for provider is enormous. Meanwhile, one index of cost-effectiveness grasping the attention is time. Time is crucial in supporting future learner of open and distance, because of its preciousness. In education, most of the learners prefer a short time to reach a specific objective. When the time becomes longer, it might cause an adverse effect. Clark (1983) exemplified the impact of time on learners in the following term: “In fact, two educational suppliers having the same effect could require a different investment in time for the learners and obviously the less time-consuming alternative would be retained as the most attractive.” Thus, future learner support will attract more when the time stays shorter.

The third support is continuously working as an auto-updated system which can measure the satisfaction rate of each earner as well as those who are dropout before completion. Then, they can predict in advance eventual reaction of learning and address the convenient solutions. That will allow providers to offer exciting courses to the rate of demand in the future.

The fourth support is the providers of MOOC should insert demography information in their system such as country and origin (Fatma, 2015). That may generate data which should help to understand behavior and culture of learners. Thus, providers can accordingly make the efficient prediction and provide systematic instructional support for learners; assure the quality of open and distance learning services which both meet those real needs of learners and justify the objectives of MOOC providers.

The fifth support is to encourage learners who live close study MOOC together. Group work would intrigue leaners’ motivation to complete a course.

The sixth support is to build MOOC classroom at the rural areas in developing countries. That would give equal learning opportunity for some disadvantage students. The fee to construct MOOC classroom could come from the advertisements which are open to company who want to advertise on MOOC course.

The seventh support is MOOC could cooperate with the universities. Students who finish a MOOC course can have a corresponding credit at studying college. Before achieving this goal, MOOC provider should have consensus with schools about how to plan a course, how to evaluate students study, etc.

MOOC could be the future of higher education. MOOC learner and learner support are on their way to discover the ridiculous scenery.