Title: A systematic mapping of empirical MOOC studies: research methods, perspectives, themes and trends

Authors: Neeraj Chopra; Rajiv Sindwani; Manisha Goel

Addresses: J.C. Bose University of Science and Technology, YMCA, Faridabad, India ' J.C. Bose University of Science and Technology, YMCA, Faridabad, India ' J.C. Bose University of Science and Technology, YMCA, Faridabad, India

Abstract: MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) have evolved considerably and emerged as a great online self-learning tool. Despite this fact, extant MOOC literature is fragmented and lacks a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. For a comprehensive presentation and to highlight the critical research gap, the paper presents MOOC studies published during January 2008 to February 2021 in chronological order through the Gartner Hype Cycle. 613 studies were shortlisted from two popular academic repositories, namely Scopus and Web of Science by applying well-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study employed a systematic mapping technique to present publication channels, trends and publication outlets. The findings reveal that most of the studies are conducted from students' perspective using quantitative research methodology, and maximum research publications are observed in 2018. 23 themes are noticed during the investigation and grouped under three broad categories. The findings present useful insights for academics, practitioners and researchers.

Keywords: online learning; MOOC; systematic mapping; research methods; research themes; research trends.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2022.122625

International Journal of Management in Education, 2022 Vol.16 No.3, pp.235 - 258

Received: 23 Dec 2020
Accepted: 18 May 2021
Published online: 04 May 2022 *

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