Design of a Tool to Support Self-Regulated Learning Strategies in MOOCs

Abstract

The massive and open nature of MOOCs contribute to attracting a great diversity of learners. However, the learners who enroll in these types of courses have trouble achieving their course objectives. One reason for this is that they do not adequately self-regulate their learning. In this context, there are few tools to support these strategies in online learning environment. Also, the lack of metrics to evaluate the impact of the proposed tools makes it difficult to identify the key features of this type of tools. In this paper, we present the process for designing NoteMyProgress, a web application that complements a MOOC platform and supports self-regulated learning strategies. For designing NoteMyProgress we followed the Design Based Research methodology. For the evaluation of the tool, we conducted two case studies using a beta version of NoteMyProgress over three MOOCs offered in Coursera. The findings of these two case studies are presented as a set of lessons learned that inform about: (1) a list of requirements to inform the design of a second version of the tool; (2) a list of requirements that could serve as a reference for other developers to design new tools that support self-regulated learning in MOOCs.