Exploring the effectiveness of video viewing in an introductory x-MOOC of algebra

Abstract

The huge amount of gathered data in a MOOC allows providing professors and course managers with insightful information about real course usage and consumption. The main aim of this work is to explore how efficient the video viewing is for completing and passing the first course offered by UCATx.cat platform, “Decoding Algebra”, in order to improve its design and resources. The statistical method used is the principal component analysis but using polychoric correlation matrix between the binary variables involved in each group. The main result suggests that the participants’ behavior is polarized in two extremes: they view all videos and pass de course or, on the contrary, they do not watch any one and they do not pass the test either. This information can be used by course managers to provide learners with better strategies for achieving their learning goals.