Highlights
- •Most commonly, people report not completing an online course about MS because they have limited time avai.
- •People living with MS also report MS-related symptoms as a reason that they did not complete.
- •Accessibility and time burden should be major considerations when designing educational resources for the MS community.
Abstract
Background
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have grown rapidly in popularity since becoming
available worldwide in 2012. There are currently > 30,000 MOOCs available from > 900
universities. However, despite their global reach, MOOCs typically have low completion
rates.
Objective
To evaluate reasons for non-completion among enrolees in the Understanding Multiple Sclerosis (MS) MOOC.
Methods
This was a mixed methods study evaluating quantitative and qualitative data collected
in an online questionnaire administered to Understanding MS enrolees who did not complete the course. The quantitative data was evaluated using
frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. The qualitative data was
assessed using textual analysis.
Results
We recruited 397 participants (4.5% of non-completers). Both the qualitative and quantitative
data suggests that the primary reasons for non-completion were time constraints and/or
limitations. Some of these were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. People with
MS also cited MS-related symptoms as a reason for non-completion. Suggested changes
to the course reflected these results and included extending the course open period
and making it self-paced.
Conclusion
Although it was impossible to determine if study participants were representative
of all non-completers due to selection bias, the results provide useful information
for developing future MS educational resources. Accessibility, particularly addressing
potential challenges related to MS symptoms and time constraints, should be a primary
consideration when developing an educational resource for the MS community.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 06, 2022
Accepted:
August 5,
2022
Received in revised form:
July 28,
2022
Received:
May 17,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
