Keywords

1 Introduction

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are one of the open online environments, which provide mostly free self-learning environments and are used during Covid-19 which affects different life aspects and educational institutions. COVID-19 shifts all activities online from social gatherings, shopping, entertainment activities, and obviously teaching and learning. According to [30], the requirement of social distance drives educational institutions to choose between closing their doors or going online. This leads to a sudden alteration in different new online environments to maintain their business or fulfilling their duties [39]. For instance, different training centers encourage teachers and institutions to use various technologies that facilitate large-scale professional development to enhance the unanticipated requirements to update teachers’ knowledge and skills to teach remotely. This update was necessary and mostly applied by teachers in an individual and self-customized manner to apply technologies appropriately to deliver the teaching materials using interactive and effective strategies.

One of these technologies is MOOOCs. MOOCs were a powerful and potential solution for learning, teaching, and training during the closure of schools and institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown [28] in Oman and worldwide. More empirical studies are needed to understand it [12], especially with teachers as they were encouraged to provide online teaching in unexpected situations to reduce the negative effect of the schools’ closure on the students learning and performance. Moreover, in general, the teaching practices and the motivations that drive specific actions during covid19 need more studies. This study aims to reveal the objectives of Omani teachers who used MOOCs during the Covid-19 pandemic either for personal reasons or because of the features of MOOCs themselves.

1.1 Statement of the Problem

There are many reasons and objectives for using MOOCs which can be varied depending on many factors such as the encouragement of stakeholders, social institutions, and peer feedback. Gillani and Eynon [16] arrested that there is no single reason why people enroll in MOOCs. Their reasons will differ depending on the course and their individual backgrounds and experiences. In addition, in 2020, and as a response from educators to the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of lockdowns, closure of countries and various institutions including schools, and the shift toward online education, MOOC platforms were consistently used in the teaching and learning process in various countries such as China and India [6, 47]. In Oman, besides teachers’ individual efforts to cope with the situation and their self-training using MOOCs and other technologies, the Omani Society for Educational Technology announced, via their social media accounts, a partnership with Coursera, one of the MOOC platforms, to provide professional training development programs in various skills and disciplines to foster the learning and teaching process [34]. Moreover, different findings showed that MOOCs have significantly affected teachers' careers and developed their teaching skills [35]. Despite this, moving rapidly toward online teaching and using various technologies, including MOOCs, during the COVID-19 pandemic, came as a shock for teachers, and directed them to review their online teaching skills and technical competencies to apply in their teaching and may try to update them to be more capable for the online teaching. Moreover, teachers are driven by different objectives to use MOOCs, which need investigation. Furthermore, the organizational culture of the Sultanate of Oman may affect the educational system and teachers’ different practices and motivations for using such technology.

1.2 Significance of the Study

The findings of this study are expected to provide significant contributions, both theoretically and practically. The findings and recommendations may help to design and develop training programs for the teachers that align with their objectives and needs. This paper may encourage stakeholders to give more attention to the advantages of MOOCs for beneficial effects. In addition, the Ministry of Education may benefit from using MOOC platforms to deliver the training programs to save money, effort, and time, and enable access to the institution's training programs. Instead of paying for teachers’ accommodation, transportation, and other services in face-to-face training, MOOCs as online platforms can direct these resources to other aspects of education. Furthermore, teachers may take advantage of the valuable features of MOOCs. Teachers’ objectives and more attention getting to use MOOCs may drive teachers’ self-regulation learning and help transmit these skills to their students to be more skillful and qualified to adapt to different changes in the digital age and innovative technologies world.

1.3 What Are MOOCs?

UNESCO [43] emphasized that everyone has the right to access a high-quality learning, which can be acquired digitally or in traditional forms. This guide focuses on the universal opportunities to access the learning materials to enhance peace and sustainability of human and economic to learn and to be accessed by different people regardless of their gender, experiences, backgrounds and other characteristics. Open Educational Resources (OER) contribute to sharing knowledge formally or otherwise in a cost-effective and high-quality manner [25]. One of these open educational resources shapes are  MOOCs. They are platforms for e-learning that allow many learners to join online courses in various subjects regardless of their demographic differences [10]. Besides, mostly without fees to attending the lectures exclusively online and within the specified start and end dates to provide social interaction, whereas the lessons can be archived for future retrieval by the learners or other users [7, 24, 25, 27]. These are available in different languages, but the majority are in English [8]. MOOCs’ characteristics help learners individualize their learning, build collaboration, network online, and empower their lifelong learning competencies [27, 32]. Moreover, MOOCs can be found in assorted designs and types based on different pedagogical and technological issues.

1.4 MOOCs Types

MOOCs have various characteristics and features based on the different learning approaches they apply, leading to two categories. The first is xMOOC, which refers to an extended Massive Open Online Course. It is an extended version of traditional face-to-face instruction modes like lectures [2, 17, 29, 32]. In this type, interaction is around the content and reflects behaviorist learning theory [8]. This type of MOOC deals with the learners as consumers of the knowledge, while the lecturers are the experts, using primarily recorded videos and applying automated graded assignments [10]. The content of these courses is well structured, controlled, and launched by a collaborative team of co-workers from prestigious and esteemed universities, leading to financial support [35]. Udacity, for example, was launched by Professor Sebastian Thrun, working at Stanford University, while Coursera was started by Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng, who tend to make diverse partnerships with various prestigious universities; which facilitates Coursera the grow up in terms of students’ numbers, partnership universities, and are available in various languages and subjects. Following Coursera, edX was launched by Harvard and MIT [32].

The second type is cMOOC, in which the ‘c’ stands for connectivism [14]. These MOOCs apply the theory of connectivism, focusing on the interaction between the learners, and making networks between them [38]. The cMOOC is based on learning from peers [17], and all the participants can be both creators of the knowledge and teachers for other participants. Learners play a significant role in the learning process, leading to enhanced creativity, ample non-structured information, and less control by several educational community volunteers without any financial support [35]. The cMOOCs take the interactive social media power of platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and blogs, and apply them in their courses [20]. Both types of MOOCs are used by learners for varied reasons and objectives.

1.5 Objectives of Using MOOCs

Learners utilize MOOCs for assorted reasons, and different motivations drive them to use MOOCs. The objectives can be categorized into three main categories: personal issues, technological issues, and pedagogical issues. The personal issues may leed to the use MOOCs as they be the effective context of the learners’ to align their needs and personal development objectives and learning goals [12, 26]. In addition, some MOOCs enable learners to customize the learning environment based on the learners’ preferences [10] and to fit their learning styles. Furthermore, the learners can be self-pacing and more flexible in their learning [3]. This can help learners to learn in their own preferred time and place. In addition, they can repeat the lessons as many times as they want.

Falconer et al. [13] and Balaji and Sayed [3] arrested the importance of recognition for MOOCs by many institutions and universities. This may encourage learners to take MOOCs and get a recognized certificate to reflect their self-regulated, lifelong learning, and autonomy. This motivates the learners to use MOOCs to develop their career and use it as a means for their professional development. For instance, teachers can use it for their in-service development and show it as proof of their self-directed development, especially during Covid-19 pandemic which results in unanticipated closures of training centers and a special need for use of e-learning and teaching.

Moreover, the pedagogical issues include MOOCs providing access to quality education at no fee [4, 10]. Meaningful quality education can be linked to another issue in which different institutions participate to develop MOOCs such as high-reputation universities. Furthermore, this can be a significant reason for learners who live in remote or underserved areas to bridge the gap which may happen because of a lack of quality education [3]. Having access to quality education was considered by [43] as one of the significant reasons for peace and human sustainability. In addition, MOOCs provide learners with new experiences and insights related to their interests and specialization and can also enhance their share of experiences and information through discussions [9, 26]. The learners engage with relevant knowledge resources and individuals, and link them to develop their information skills, improve their cumulative knowledge, and inspire knowledge creation through the process called 4Cs of learning behaviors that include consuming, connecting, creating, and then contributing the new knowledge. For instance, [23] claimed that MOOCs foster teachers' communication, reflection, and cooperation within a community of peers and active learners to share technical information and skills, encourage innovation, and eventually integrate new pedagogical and technology knowledge with classroom practices. This can help teachers to improve their knowledge in different areas such as teaching strategies and improve their skills either technical or other more specific skills related to their subjects in a powerful environment mostly with flexible discussion platforms and easy communication. Furthermore, [36] considered MOOCs as a tool to enrich teachers' instructional practices and facilitate the development of digital skills.

The technological issues can cover that MOOCs enhance learners to use open-access software and accomplish their assignments using a simple and unsophisticated application considering that learners are from various specializations and have different technical knowledge and skills [3].

Not only the literature presents many reasons for using MOOCs but also many studies recommended further investigation of learners’ and educators’ objectives for using MOOCs. For instance, [46] pointed out that there is little understanding of the learners’ objectives for using MOOCs, and more investigation will significantly affect the MOOCs’ development and implementation [12] emphasize the need for more investigation and research on the reasons that influence learners to take a MOOC. This study tried to discover this gap and focus specifically on the Omani teachers’ objectives of using MOOCs during Covid-19 as the pandemic affects teachers’ practices and use of MOOCs for many reasons which need to be revealed.

2 Materials and Methods

Veletsianos and Shepherdson [44] highlighted that most MOOCs research and studies employed a quantitative approach. Neuman [31] underlined that quantitative data can be used to measure things objectively and avoid researcher bias. Thus, this study used a quantitative method to explore Omani teachers in the Muscat governate who used MOOCs by using a questionnaire that contained 20 statements using a 5-point Likert scale of agreement. In addition, Akinci and Saunders [1] pointed out that quantitative research may use questionnaires to show the relationships and differences between the variables which will be used in this study to study the differences between males and females in their objectives of using MOOCs.

Thirty-eight Omani teachers from Muscat who are MOOC users and learners through these platforms participated in this study and they were chosen randomly. The participants are from different specializations comprising both genders. The percentage of both genders is equal to 50%. In addition, they are from various subject specializations as shown in Table 1.

Table 1 The percentages of participants’ subject specialization
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Furthermore, the participants are from different years of experience as presented in Table 2.

Table 2 The distribution of the participants’ years of experience
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3 Results and Discussion

The finding of this study regarding the reasons that motivated Omani teachers to use the MOOCs during the Covid-19 pandemic can be presented in Table 3.

Table 3 The percentages of teachers’ reasons for using MOOCS during Covid-19
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Table 3 shows that the majority (97.3%) of the Omani teachers in the Muscat governate used MOOCs during the Covid-19 pandemic because they provided access to a quality education that is free. This was the result of schools getting closed during the pandemic and teachers were forced to look for free and professional resources to upgrade their skills to deal with online teaching and learning [19]. This can also be reflected in the following reason for using MOOCs by the Omani teachers, which was to get new insights and experiences in their teaching subjects. Gao and Zhang [15] claimed that teachers were familiar with traditional teaching in face-to-face classrooms, with limited information literacy in technology integration in their teaching and an infrequent experience with distance and online teaching. The online platforms have different patterns of information delivery for the students [2, 22], which require the teachers to discover interactive technologies for their students to engage them in the online classes [33], to understand their needs, and to reduce their feeling of isolation.

This challenge makes it a compulsory requirement for teachers to update their technical skills to be able to upgrade their skills and knowledge in the technologies related to learning and teaching in the online environment [15], and to reflect on the self-development process in the collaborative online environment [11, 45]. This was reflected by 94.7% of the Omani teachers in Muscat who used MOOCs to get new insights and experiences in their teaching subjects. Furthermore, the same percentage used MOOCs to update their knowledge and skills particularly needed to learn about innovative technologies and instructional strategies. Furthermore, this result aligns with [42] finding about the information science professionals' reasons to use MOOCs during Covid-19. They used MOOCs to acquire skills and update knowledge. In addition, they found that half of the participants signed up for MOOCs to update their knowledge, and one-third of them signed up to improve their skills.

About 92% of the participants used MOOCs as they raise their awareness about self-learning and learning autonomously. This can be reflected in the need during the covid19 to be self-learners to update themselves with the required skills and knowledge. In addition, the closure of traditional face-to-face learning institutions based on the social distance requirements led to change the way of knowledge acquiring and raised the need of using more educational technologies in the educational setting [15].

An equal percentage of the participants (92%) used MOOCs to facilitate learning with people from diverse backgrounds and regions, which highlights their need to exchange experiences much wider. This can reflect the searching of the learning for two main things collaboration and openness [40]. Learners of all backgrounds and races may communicate and learn on a similar topic of interest through collaboration. MOOCs, in terms of openness, give a platform for specialists to share their expertise with a diverse group of learners, regardless of their background or location, democratizing knowledge.

Moreover, 89% of the teachers agreed that they used MOOCs during Covid-19 because they give them control over their learning. They can learn at their preferred time and place. Cormier and Siemens [9] stressed the merits of MOOCs as they facilitate access to new knowledge and the engagement technologies being within the power of the student. This open learning changes the educator's position. In addition, MOOCs were recommended to be used in Omani teachers’ professional development to enable them to control their learning [5]. In addition, 86% used MOOCs as they are a self-paced environment. They can learn at their pace and repeat the lessons many times and retake quizzes and assignments. Self-pacing makes them feel more comfortable and less worried about their learning [3, 21]. In addition, the following agreed reason was exchanging experiences through training, which is provided from high reputation universities such as Harvard, Stanford, and others.

In addition, the next agreed objective of using MOOCs by the Omani teachers during the Covid-19 pandemic was encouraging them to review their knowledge and skills represented by 78.9%. This was a compulsory requirement for the teachers to be able to provide online teaching [15]. Furthermore, the same percentage represents three other reasons for using MOOCs by Omani teachers during the Covid-19 pandemic as follows; MOOCs helped teachers to achieve their personal goals, which cannot be related to their careers and teachers’ professional development. This finding also corresponds with Tsabedze and Tella [42] as they found that 16.7% of the librarians said they studied through MOOCs to get a certificate that would help them get better employment opportunities. However, there are many other personal objectives of Omani teachers’ enrollment in MOOCs that need more investigation.

The same percentage (78.9%) used MOOCs because they enable them to interact with others and build networks. Furthermore, the freedom of dropping out from the course at any time without any restrictions gets the same percentage. These findings correspond with the evaluation of MOOCs from the perspective of the learner which was conducted by Nkuyubwatsi [32]. He found the openness reflected in MOOCs in means of pace, control, free, drop out, and enrolling without any prerequisites, which attract many learners to take this advantage into account. However, high rates of dropout were highlighted by Hew and Cheung [18] as a significant challenge in MOOCs because around 90% of the participants drop out. However, this percentage can give an indicator of one of the merits of these platforms. It reflects that learners enroll to get knowledge and skills and when this is achieved, they leave the course. Moreover, this kind of openness from the perspective of the learners is an advantage.

Omani teachers used MOOCs to support their self-organization needs of their learning and an equal percentage used MOOCs because they encouraged them to apply knowledge and skills in a wider context than the course, in their real teaching practices. The feeling of control over the learning and studying each section of the course in their prepared order or way and then the ability to customized it to fit their needs driven 76.3% of the Omani teachers from The Muscat governate to use MOOCs during Covid-19. This result may be linked with [10, 37] recommendations to use MOOCs agents to customize the course based on the learner's profile data. This can include adjusting the content of the course based on the learners’ academic background, their location, and environment as well as their origin. In addition, the course setting can be adapted based on the learner’s preferences of colures and organization of the objects in the MOOC environment. Besides, based on the learner analytics the presented content in MOOCs can be personalized or suggest for the learner special courses and resources.

On the contrary, the highest number of participants (31.5%) disagreed with using MOOCs because of enhancing peer support. Following by 26% of the teachers disagreed with using MOOCs as a tool that  help to learn from peer reviews. This can raise a need to explore the type of courses that Omani teachers use to learn and assess five aspects related to this area as investigated by Syahrin [41] and include the study of MOOCs participants’ style of learning, the kind of learning environment in MOOCs, types of activities, mode of content delivery, and the instructor style. In addition, 23% of the Omani teachers in Muscat disagreed with learning through MOOCs to answer their curious questions.

About 21% disagreed with using MOOCs as they reflect developing courses partnerships with industry between different experts. The same percentage of disagreeing with using MOOCs as a tool which present different learning modes such as peer-peer or interactive learning or flipped learning experience. This can lead to a clear need to study the kind of courses they study and analyze.

Moreover, one of the major results of this study is that there were no significant differences between male and female teachers in their objectives of using MOOCs during the covid19 pandemic as presented in Table 4.

Table 4 t-Test: two-sample assuming unequal variances
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This can be from the same reasons and challenges that drive them to use MOOCs. In addition, they might have been following the same regional place and educational system which affected their responses and objectives of using MOOCs and this can be investigated deeply in future studies.

3.1 Implications and Recommendations:

The finding of this study cannot be generalized because of many challenges. This can be a result of there being no data about the teachers who use MOOCs in Oman or particularly in Muscat. This can inspire the institution and stakeholders to build a local database to know the users of MOOCs and help the researchers and MOOCs developers to reach them much easier and conduct analytical analyses of the learners to develop courses that can fit their needs. Many studies focus on the alignment of MOOCs to learners' needs such as [12]. They underlined that only in the context of the learners' objectives and needs can MOOCs be effectively interpreted. This may lead also to focus on the importance of studying the need to develop a specialized educational MOOCs platform that is more related to the teacher’s profession and the possibility to use it as a professional development venue for the teachers in Oman. This also raises the need for more Arabic content and MOOCs to encourage all teachers to enroll and take benefits of them as most of the MOOCs are available in English [8].

In addition, some of the objectives of using MOOCs by the participants need more clarifications such as the personal goals that lead them to enroll in MOOCs which may need to use qualitative research methods to get a deeper understanding of their reasons and motivation to use MOOCs. Furthered, the most used MOOCs of the Omani teachers needs to be sorted and analyzed to give more comprehensive insights into their types and fit the expectations of the teachers, and content analysis of MOOCs to reveal their content and how it follows the instructional design approaches, the assessments and supports available such as student support, teacher support and technical support or administrative support.

This study also recommends studying the frequency of using MOOCs by Omani teachers and comparing their sources of getting training in their professional development and their preferences for MOOCs and traditional training through face-to-face or blended. Furthermore, this study suggests studying the effect of MOOCs on teachers' practice and teaching. This can include studying the areas most enriched by MOOCs such as their specialization knowledge, their teaching strategies or the development of their teaching materials. This study recommends studying the relationships between the objectives of using MOOCs by teachers and their schools’ objectives, principals’ backgrounds, and many other factors such as years of experience and the subject of specialization. In addition, the researchers can compare the results of this study with the objectives of other teachers locally and internationally.