The Promise of MOOCs Revisited? Demographics of Learners Preparing for University

This paper leverages cluster analysis to provide insight into how traditionally underrepresented learners engage with entry-level massive open online courses (MOOCs) intended to lower the barrier to university enrolment, produced by a major research university in the United States. From an initial sample of 260,239 learners, we cluster analyze a subset of data from 29,083 participants who submitted an assignment in one of nine entry-level MOOC courses. Manhattan distance and Gower distance measures are computed based on engagement, achievement, and demographic data. To our knowledge, this marks one of the first such uses of Gower distance to cluster mixed variable data to explore fairness and equity in the MOOC literature. The clusters are derived from CLARA and PAM algorithms, enriched by demographic data, with a particular focus on education level, as well as approximated socioeconomic status (SES) for a smaller subset of learners. Results indicate that learners without a college degree are more likely to be high-performing compared to college-educated learners. Learners from lower SES backgrounds are just as likely to be successful as learners from middle and higher SES backgrounds. While MOOCs have struggled to improve access to learning, more fair and equitable outcomes for traditionally underrepresented learners are possible.