Exploring the Effects of Lightweight Social Incentives on Learner Performance in MOOCs

Abstract

We are exploring the effects of social incentives and motivation on learner performance in a massive open online course. In the preliminary study that we report here, we asked learners if they wanted to be considered for a community TAship in a subsequent offering of the course, if they finished in the top 20% of those who completed the current course instance. We prompted students near the beginning of the course and in the middle of the course. This prompt appears to have had a significant, albeit small effect on learner completion when given early in the course. The prompt had no significant effect when given later in the course. We also discuss our plans to follow-up this study.