Structural limitations of learning in a crowd: communication vulnerability and information diffusion in MOOCs

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the structural limitations of communication and information diffusion in MOOCs, revealing how network modularity and engagement patterns restrict global knowledge exchange among learners.

Contribution

It introduces a network analysis approach to quantify communication vulnerability and diffusion potential in MOOC discussion forums, highlighting structural barriers to effective large-scale online learning.

Findings

Different topics and pedagogies affect engagement and inclusiveness.

Modularity in discussion networks limits information diffusion.

Large-scale MOOCs face inherent structural constraints in fostering global dialogue.

Abstract

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) bring together a global crowd of thousands of learners for several weeks or months. In theory, the openness and scale of MOOCs can promote iterative dialogue that facilitates group cognition and knowledge construction. Using data from two successive instances of a popular business strategy MOOC, we filter observed communication patterns to arrive at the "significant" interaction networks between learners and use complex network analysis to explore the vulnerability and information diffusion potential of the discussion forums. We find that different discussion topics and pedagogical practices promote varying levels of 1) "significant" peer-to-peer engagement, 2) participant inclusiveness in dialogue, and ultimately, 3) modularity, which impacts information diffusion to prevent a truly "global" exchange of knowledge and learning. These results indicate the structural limitations of large-scale crowd-based learning and highlight the different ways that learners in MOOCs leverage, and learn within, social contexts. We conclude by exploring how these insights may inspire new developments in online education.