The MOOC phenomenon: who takes massive open online courses and why?

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have commanded considerable public attention due to their sudden rise and disruptive potential. But there are no robust, published data that describe who is taking these courses and why they are doing so. As such, [it is] not yet [known] how transformative the MOOC phenomenon can or will be. [The authors] conducted an online survey of students enrolled in at least one of the University of Pennsylvania’s 32 MOOCs offered on the Coursera platform. The student population tends to be young, well educated, and employed, with a majority from developed...  [+] Show more

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have commanded considerable public attention due to their sudden rise and disruptive potential. But there are no robust, published data that describe who is taking these courses and why they are doing so. As such, [it is] not yet [known] how transformative the MOOC phenomenon can or will be. [The authors] conducted an online survey of students enrolled in at least one of the University of Pennsylvania’s 32 MOOCs offered on the Coursera platform. The student population tends to be young, well educated, and employed, with a majority from developed countries. There are significantly more males than females taking MOOCs, especially in developing countries. Students’ main reasons for taking a MOOC are advancing in their current job and satisfying curiosity. The individuals the MOOC revolution is supposed to help the most - those without access to higher education in developing countries - are underrepresented among the early adopters.

Published abstract.