Investigating Influential Factors Of Learner Behavior Of English MOOC Learning

Based on activity theory,a fourteen-week longitudinal study was carried out on 260 participants of the same English MOOC.By applying a mixed-methods approach,including the questionnaire and semi-structured interview,the current study aimed to characterize learner behavior of English MOOC learning and define intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting the behavior.Data collected were analyzed by SPSS 23.0,RStudio and NVivo 12.The results were as follows:(1)By using RStudio and NVivo 12,factor analysis and coding were implemented on the data collected through the questionnaire and interviews.It was found that learner behavior of English MOOC learning could be characterized as three types: elementary behavior,including watching videos;secondary behavior,involving finishing unit tests and assignments and checking answers;and tertiary behavior of reviewing before unit tests,reflecting on outcomes of the assignments and seeking assistance via social media.(2)Intrinsic factors affecting learner behavior comprised two categories.The first one was learners’ gender that attributed to the fact that male learners outperformed the female in learner behavior described above.The second one was learners’ preference for learning modes.Learners who preferred fully online learning outstripped learners who preferred learning fully offline or in blended environments.(3)Extrinsic factors affecting leaner behavior included autonomous learning ability,community,psychological tool,division of labor and technical tool,which were positively correlated with learner behavior.The first four factors could significantly predict learner behavior described above.Theoretically,the current study on learner behavior of English MOOC learning is unfolded from the perspective of activity theory,which broadens the application range of activity theory.Pedagogically,the present study results provide teachers with new insights into MOOC learner behavior and suggestions for improving teaching effectiveness.Methodologically,the research applies a mixed-methods approach covering questionnaire survey and semi-structured interview,offering a new perspective for the future studies.