Impact of Learner-Centric Discussion Forums on Learner Engagement in Skill Development MOOC

Discussion forum is an important component of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Many MOOC researchers have reported that learners do not use the discussion forum to its fullest potential. As MOOCs are evolving from being instructor-centric to learner-centric, the role played by discussion forums in driving learner engagement and completion rate is becoming evident. The Learner-Centric MOOC (LCM) model has been developed to increase learner centricity in MOOCs. Learner Experience Interaction (LxI) is one such element of the LCM model, which leverages peer learning via focused discussions. In this research, we have analyzed the impact of LxIs on a skill development MOOC, particularly the discussion forum participation, and compared it with the non-LxI version of the same MOOC. Results indicate that by adding the LxI element to a MOOC, peer learning can be leveraged for effective engagement.