This paper published in the British Journal of Educational Technology considers the limitations of depending on data mining of log files or clickstream data from within a MOOC platform to construct understandings of learner activities in open courses. In order to gain a broader perspective, the authors report on findings derived through interviews with 13 learners who talk about their experiences in MOOCs, including information on learner interaction, the use of social networks outside of the MOOC platforms and the various strategies that learners brought to the task of learning in an open environment. The authors use this information to suggest some pedagogical and technological refinements to enhance the overall quality of open teaching and learning.
Veletsianos, G., Collier, A. and Schneider, E. (2015). British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(3), 570-587.