Trends in MOOC research performed using technology frameworks: A systematic literature review

What is it about?

This paper explores various aspects of MOOC research by addressing five crucial research questions. By conducting a comprehensive literature review and analysing data, we gain valuable insights into the most investigated themes, extensions of UTAUT-1&2, geographical distribution, research methodologies, and citation trends in MOOC research. These findings serve as a guide for future researchers, shedding light on research gaps, emerging trends, and pathways to advance knowledge in the field. Additionally, it draws attention to under-researched factors such as Course quality, Content Quality, Gamification, Affiliation, Course duration, and Educator (Instructor) quality, which have the potential to further enhance the effectiveness of the technology framework in explaining MOOC user behaviour.

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Photo by Lewis Keegan on Unsplash

Photo by Lewis Keegan on Unsplash

Why is it important?

By leveraging these advancements in UTAUT2, researchers aim to gain deeper insights into the factors influencing technology acceptance and usage in the context of MOOCs (Parhamnia, F., 2022; Gharaibeh, M.K., 2018). The evolution from UTAUT to UTAUT2 brings with it a significant leap in our understanding of user behaviour in e-learning. The extensions proposed in UTAUT2 have yielded remarkable improvements in explaining behavioural intention (56% to 74%) and technology use (40% to 52%) (Venkatesh et al., 2012). This heightened effectiveness has propelled the adoption of these models to assess the acceptance and utilization of e-learning models (Abbad, M.M., 2021). Consequently, it becomes captivating for the research community to acknowledge the body of literature that has been built upon these models, delving into their findings and insights (Tseng, T.H. et al., 2022).