JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are increasingly used in nursing education, attracting learners with diverse participation modes. Social learners (self-directed) enroll voluntarily based on personal interests, while academic learners (institution-directed) are mandated by nursing schools with performance linked to grades. Existing literature shows that academic learners outperform social learners in MOOCs, but evidence is scarce on whether this performance gap stems from distinct participation patterns shaped by institutional requirements.

Objective:

We sought to compare participation typologies between social and academic learners using latent class analysis (LCA) and assess their association with learning outcomes.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis of 8,222 students enrolled in a rehabilitation nursing MOOC (2021-2022). Learners were classified by topic test participation frequency via LCA, with their distributions and scores statistically compared.

Results:

The cohort comprised 7,683 academic (93.4%) and 539 social (6.6%) learners. LCA identified three types: participation-declining (1.1%), high-participation (84.6%), and lowest-participation (14.2%). Distributions differed significantly (χ² = 2745.117, <.001): social learners were primarily lowest-participation (482/539, 89.4%), while academic learners were mainly high-participation (6,923/7,683, 90.1%). Among high-participation learners, academic learners significantly outperformed social learners (all <.05, r = 0.06–0.10). No significant differences existed for other types.

Conclusions:

Distinct participation patterns explain the performance advantage of academic learners. Our findings highlight the importance of sustained participation, suggesting MOOC instructors should provide enhanced support for voluntary learners.