Low+Completion+Rate

One online survey lists down the top 10 reasons for the low completion rates, and lecture fatigue and poor course design figure at numbers 4 and 5 respectively in this list. Interestingly, the article from The Chronicle goes on to state that Coursera does not attribute the low completion rates to the MOOC format. Open Culture pointed out in their compiling of the top-10 reasons students dropped out of MOOCs, “the completion rates aren’t so much a problem for you; they’re more a problem for the MOOC providers and their business models.”

1) **Completing MOOCs takes too much time**: Many respondents said watching online lectures and completing homework assignments was simply too much to incorporate into their schedules. 2) **MOOCs assume students are well informed**: Many complaints centered around an assumed “knowledge base” that was often essential to understanding the course material. 3) **Some MOOCs were too easy**: Students found these MOOCs lacking in challenging material, with some literature courses feeling “like a glorified book club.” 4) **Boring lectures:** Having to watch web-based lectures drove some students away from MOOCs. MOOCs would be better served if they relied more heavily on interactive forms of pedagogy,” Open Culture wrote. 5) **Poor course design:** Despite ample instructions on how to access course material and lectures, some students found it difficult to navigate a MOOC and engage its curriculum. 6) **Lack of constructive interaction**: There were some complaints about online discussion forums with MOOC teachers and fellow students that weren’t nearly as helpful as traditional in-class exchanges. 7) **Trolls:** Peer review of MOOC assignments were often marred by rude students who made exchanges of ideas almost impossible with no supervision from MOOC educators or teacher assistants. 8) **Hidden costs**: Students were surprised to learn that, despite MOOCs’ reputation as a free online educational resource, they were sometimes required to purchase pricey textbooks recommended by professors. 9) **Course shopping**: Students, in their perusing of available MOOC offerings, would sign up for many courses and decide later which options they’d engage, and which options they would drop. 10) **Learning instead of earning**: Students who sign up for a MOOC to enhance their knowledge of a subject might be unlikely to take the course’s final exam, meaning they’ve completed everything in a MOOC except for the final piece. [[@http://One%20online%20survey%20lists%20down%20the%20top%2010%20reasons%20for%20the%20low%20completion%20rates,%20and%20lecture%20fatigue%20and%20poor%20course%20design%20figure%20at%20numbers%204%20and%205%20respectively%20in%20this%20list.%20Interestingly,%20the%20article%20from%20The%20Chronicle%20goes%20on%20to%20state%20that%20Coursera%20does%20not%20attribute%20the%20low%20completion%20rates%20to%20the%20MOOC%20format.%20Open%20Culture%20pointed%20out%20in%20their%20compiling%20of%20the%20top-10%20reasons%20students%20dropped%20out%20of%20MOOCs,%20%E2%80%9Cthe%20completion%20rates%20aren%E2%80%99t%20so%20much%20a%20problem%20for%20you;%20they%E2%80%99re%20more%20a%20problem%20for%20the%20MOOC%20providers%20and%20their%20business%20models.%E2%80%9D%201)%20Completing%20MOOCs%20takes%20too%20much%20time:%20Many%20respondents%20said%20watching%20online%20lectures%20and%20completing%20homework%20assignments%20was%20simply%20too%20much%20to%20incorporate%20into%20their%20schedules.%202)%20MOOCs%20assume%20students%20are%20well%20informed:%20Many%20complaints%20centered%20around%20an%20assumed%20%E2%80%9Cknowledge%20base%E2%80%9D%20that%20was%20often%20essential%20to%20understanding%20the%20course%20material.%203)%20Some%20MOOCs%20were%20too%20easy:%20Students%20found%20these%20MOOCs%20lacking%20in%20challenging%20material,%20with%20some%20literature%20courses%20feeling%20%E2%80%9Clike%20a%20glorified%20book%20club.%E2%80%9D%2010%20reasons%204)%20Boring%20lectures:%20Having%20to%20watch%20web-based%20lectures%20drove%20some%20students%20away%20from%20MOOCs.%20MOOCs%20would%20be%20better%20served%20if%20they%20relied%20more%20heavily%20on%20interactive%20forms%20of%20pedagogy,%E2%80%9D%20Open%20Culture%20wrote.%205)%20Poor%20course%20design:%20Despite%20ample%20instructions%20on%20how%20to%20access%20course%20material%20and%20lectures,%20some%20students%20found%20it%20difficult%20to%20navigate%20a%20MOOC%20and%20engage%20its%20curriculum.%206)%20Lack%20of%20constructive%20interaction:%20There%20were%20some%20complaints%20about%20online%20discussion%20forums%20with%20MOOC%20teachers%20and%20fellow%20students%20that%20weren%E2%80%99t%20nearly%20as%20helpful%20as%20traditional%20in-class%20exchanges.%207)%20Trolls:%20Peer%20review%20of%20MOOC%20assignments%20were%20often%20marred%20by%20rude%20students%20who%20made%20exchanges%20of%20ideas%20almost%20impossible%20with%20no%20supervision%20from%20MOOC%20educators%20or%20teacher%20assistants.%208)%20Hidden%20costs:%20Students%20were%20surprised%20to%20learn%20that,%20despite%20MOOCs%E2%80%99%20reputation%20as%20a%20free%20online%20educational%20resource,%20they%20were%20sometimes%20required%20to%20purchase%20pricey%20textbooks%20recommended%20by%20professors.%209)%20Course%20shopping:%20Students,%20in%20their%20perusing%20of%20available%20MOOC%20offerings,%20would%20sign%20up%20for%20many%20courses%20and%20decide%20later%20which%20options%20they%E2%80%99d%20engage,%20and%20which%20options%20they%20would%20drop.%2010)%20Learning%20instead%20of%20earning:%20Students%20who%20sign%20up%20for%20a%20MOOC%20to%20enhance%20their%20knowledge%20of%20a%20subject%20might%20be%20unlikely%20to%20take%20the%20course%E2%80%99s%20final%20exam,%20meaning%20they%E2%80%99ve%20completed%20everything%20in%20a%20MOOC%20except%20for%20the%20final%20piece.%20http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/top-10-reasons-for-low-mooc-completion-rates/2/|http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/top-10-reasons-for-low-mooc-completion-rates/2/]]