When it comes to MOOCs, where you are from makes a difference

Millions of learners have enrolled in MOOCs in the last few years. However, little is known about the essential skills students need to succeed in MOOCs. Even less is known about how country of origin or other aspects such as gender might affect these skills. By integrating the resources and appropriation scholarship with second-level digital divide research, this study considers skills used to engage ICTs with self-efficacy and locus of control among MOOC learners from five regions. Results from surveying 2882 learners who enrolled in five English and Arabic MOOCs reveal significant differences among learners from various regions. Based on the region in which they live, some of the learners have significantly higher skills than learners in other regions. Furthermore, male learners from three of the five regions have higher levels of engagement with ICTs than female learners. These findings inspire important considerations for future educational programs.