A Meta-Analysis of MOOC-Based Academic Achievement, Engagement, Motivation, and Self-Regulation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Massive open online course (MOOC)-based education has gained a great popularity especially during this special COVID-19 pandemic time. This study, aiming to summarize the effectiveness of MOOCs, seems meaningful and necessary. Through a meta-analysis using Stata/MP 14.0, this study concludes that MOOCs-based education could significantly improve academic achievements and motivation rather than self-regulation and engagement compared with the non-MOOCs-based approach. Blended, independent, and gamified instead of interactive MOOCs could significantly improve academic achievements compared with their counterparts. Different approaches to MOOCs could not predict academic achievements. Future research into MOOC-based education could focus on how to blend elements of gamification and interaction, as well as instructional methods, with MOOC-based education.