Observing URL Sharing Behaviour in Massive Online Open Courses

ABSTRACT

Information sharing is a key activity of Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) user behavior. Sharing Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) has been identified as a means for individuals in online spaces to generate social relationships, construct knowledge, and disseminate information; however this activity has not been investigated within the MOOC space. This paper presents an observational study of URL sharing within MOOCs, and explores how a MOOC learning community responded to this micro behaviour. The research explored 1,471 comments and 416 learners who displayed URL sharing behavior from two iterations of the "Irish Lives" Futurelearn / Trinity College, University of Dublin MOOC. The analysis identified patterns of behavior within "URL Sharers", and suggests that this activity could support greater learner interaction. Although causality is not implied, the results of this analysis contributes a tentative new understanding of URL sharing in MOOCs, and denotes a new MOOC micro behaviour. This can be useful for MOOC practitioners to facilitate design choices.

References

1. Ma, W.W.K. and Yuen, A.H.K., 201 Understanding online knowledge sharing: An interpersonal relationship perspective. Computers & Education 56, 1 (1//), 210--219.
2. Holton, A.E., Baek, K., Coddington, M., and Yaschur, C., 2014. Seeking and Sharing: Motivations for Linking on Twitter. Communication Research Reports 31, 1, 33--40.
3. Siemens, G., 2005. Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. International Journal of Instructional Technology & Distance Learning 2, 1.

Index Terms

• Applied computing

  • Education

    • Collaborative learning

    • Distance learning

    • E-learning