Conclusions
This study adds another layer to the growing body of knowledge on MOOC participants' motivation to learn (Kizilcec & Schneider, 2015) and effective methods for social engagement (Alario-Hoyos et al., 2013; Ferguson & Clow, 2015). Following the results presented above, this study suggests three main conclusions. First, similar motivation patterns were found in both English and Arabic participants, indicating a broad cross-cultural trend. Though the participants came from different countries and ethnicities, they were driven to learn by similar goals and incentives. Second, social interactions, in the form of large and small online groups, are important for successful learning. Participants, who were highly involved in both social arenas indicated high motivation gains. Third, MOOC completers can be characterized according to their motivation to learn. In this study, we identified five types of MOOC completers. Understanding the types of MOOC completers according to their motivation is important for both learners and developers. MOOC learners can better understand what motivates them to learn, and thus, take effective actions to pursue their goals. Whilst MOOC developers can design unique learning environments and assignments that help the learners accomplish their goals. For example, MOOC developers can provide diverse communication platforms for the ‘networkers’ who desire to be part of a community of people with similar interest. For the ‘problem-solvers’, who seek to find a solution to a specific science or engineering problem, MOOC developers can design open assignments that present real-word problems. For the ‘benefactors’, the developers can design performance tasks that encourage the application of knowledge for the benefit of others. For the innovation-seekers and the complementary-learners the developers should present the most up-to-date information.
