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Houston, We've Addressed a Problem: A Layer Design for MOOC Forums to Improve Navigation, Participation, and Interactions

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Title: Houston, We've Addressed a Problem: A Layer Design for MOOC Forums to Improve Navigation, Participation, and Interactions
Language: English
Authors: Dennis A. Rivera (ORCID 0000-0002-5127-3493), Mariane Frenay (ORCID 0000-0001-9201-2604), Bernadette Charlier (ORCID 0000-0001-6040-6211), Valérie Swaen (ORCID 0000-0001-7746-9614)
Source: Journal of Computing in Higher Education. 2026 38(1):338-359.
Availability: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 22
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: MOOCs, Intervention, Computer Mediated Communication, Navigation (Information Systems), Computer System Design, Usability, Communication Skills, Communication Strategies
DOI: 10.1007/s12528-025-09436-6
ISSN: 1042-1726
1867-1233
Abstract: As collaborative learning environments, forums in massive open online courses (MOOCs) seek to facilitate knowledge construction though meaningful discussions. Such discussions, however, rarely occur Problems such as difficult navigation, non-interactive participation, and brief interactions hinder discussions in MOOC forums. While pedagogical design holds promise for addressing these issues, few studies have implemented interventions to explore their impact. This paper presents findings from an intervention redesigning the forums in two MOOCs. Using a layered approach, we redesigned 12 forums to improve navigation, promote interactive participation, and increase the length of learners' interactions. Results show that our intervention significantly reduced forum posts with uninformative titles, thereby improving navigation. Our intervention also helped learners both start and reply to threads, improving the quality of their forum interaction. Lastly, our intervention helped to increase the number of interactions, though interactions were not necessarily longer. These findings highlight the importance of pedagogical design in fostering meaningful discussions in MOOC forums.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1508999
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Houston, We've Addressed a Problem: A Layer Design for MOOC Forums to Improve Navigation, Participation, and Interactions
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dennis+A%2E+Rivera%22">Dennis A. Rivera</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5127-3493">0000-0002-5127-3493</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mariane+Frenay%22">Mariane Frenay</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9201-2604">0000-0001-9201-2604</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bernadette+Charlier%22">Bernadette Charlier</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6040-6211">0000-0001-6040-6211</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Valérie+Swaen%22">Valérie Swaen</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7746-9614">0000-0001-7746-9614</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Computing+in+Higher+Education%22"><i>Journal of Computing in Higher Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 38(1):338-359.
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  Data: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
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  Data: 10.1007/s12528-025-09436-6
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  Data: As collaborative learning environments, forums in massive open online courses (MOOCs) seek to facilitate knowledge construction though meaningful discussions. Such discussions, however, rarely occur Problems such as difficult navigation, non-interactive participation, and brief interactions hinder discussions in MOOC forums. While pedagogical design holds promise for addressing these issues, few studies have implemented interventions to explore their impact. This paper presents findings from an intervention redesigning the forums in two MOOCs. Using a layered approach, we redesigned 12 forums to improve navigation, promote interactive participation, and increase the length of learners' interactions. Results show that our intervention significantly reduced forum posts with uninformative titles, thereby improving navigation. Our intervention also helped learners both start and reply to threads, improving the quality of their forum interaction. Lastly, our intervention helped to increase the number of interactions, though interactions were not necessarily longer. These findings highlight the importance of pedagogical design in fostering meaningful discussions in MOOC forums.
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