Understanding the motivation to enrol in a massive open online course – A case study from South Africa

Abstract

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have the potential to positively disrupt higher education in South Africa, but at present, only a few institutions in South Africa offer MOOCs. The aim of the study is to investigate why South African citizens would enrol in MOOCs to further their education. The purpose of the study is to understand the various factors that motivate citizens to make use of MOOCs for educational purposes. Data collection made use of an online questionnaire based on the Technology-User-Environment framework and recorded 3147 responses that were analysed with descriptive statistics. The responses from South African citizens indicated that lifelong learning, being in control of their learning journey and the flexibility of MOOCs were the biggest reasons why they would enrol in such as course. The recommendation then is that higher education institutions incorporate MOOCs in their educational offerings to remain competitive and attract potential students.