Learn Moodle: Step by Step or All at Once?

Because of their open (and massive) nature, MOOCs attract a wide variety of participants, and these participants may have very different educational and professional backgrounds. For all of them, however, the onus is on the individual to do the work.

 Littlejohn, Hood, Milligan and Mustain (2016) discuss self-regulated learning (SRL),  first explained by Zimmerman (2000). It is not static, but dependent on a number of elements. Referring to Pintrich (2000) they state that:

  “The ability to self-regulate one's learning is shaped by both personal-psychological and contextual factors”

In an earlier paper, Hood, Littlejohn and Milligan, (2015) suggest that  “a learner’s current role and context influences their ability to self-regulate their learning in a MOOC”. A high SRL score means a participant is autonomous and aware of their own strengths and weaknesses. They noted that it tended to be the participants with a low SRL score who were actually more focused on getting through the course and obtaining a certificate – in other words - they were extrinsically motivated – whereas participants with a high SRL score demonstrated intrinsic motivation and “tended to be more informal and less structured in their learning approach, engaging with the content and activities that they determined would support their individual needs.”

 This would suggest those in the Learn Moodle MOOC who choose the ‘All at once’ path might have high SRL scores and be less concerned with ultimate success and more with improving their understanding. It might suggest that those who choose the ‘Step by step’ path might have low SRL scores and want this scaffolding support to get them through the hurdles towards a completion certificate. 

In their book on reconceptualising learning,  Littlejohn and Hood (2018) provide a number of learner stories, one of which is ‘the cautious student’, who “struggled to determine his own learning journey and consequently used the predefined, linear course structure to scaffold his learning”, again suggesting those lacking in confidence or experience tend to take what they consider the safest route with most support.