Data Story: Why People Take Free Online Courses (MOOCs)

Millions of people have signed up for Massive Open Online Courses, known as MOOCs. Early studies show that the majority of those who have signed up already have a college degree, and most do not opt to pay for a certificate to prove they passed the class. Put simply, they’re not looking to get college credit in any way. So I’m curious to dig deeper into what motivates these online “students.”

I am late to post because I’ve been digging around for a killer data set on this. I’ve made requests to HarvardX and to some researchers who have a large MOOC dataset, but so far no one has been willing to share their raw numbers. But HarvardX has published some demographic and survey data (not much). My sense, though, is that their data does not answer the question very well (most MOOC surveys only offer a few multiple choices on motivation).

So for the assignment, I’m focusing on playing around with fuzzier “data” – the student postings to forums in a MOOC. In many MOOCs, students post short introductions in the forums at the beginning of the term, usually saying why they are taking the course. I’ll analyze the intro discussion postings in one MOOC and group them into broad categories (my categories won’t capture everything, but there are definitely clear patterns in the responses).

My plan is to pick an astronomy course on edX that just started. https://courses.edx.org/courses/ANUx/ANU-ASTRO1x/1T2014/discussion/forum/i4x-edx-templates-course-Empty/threads/533080e801772bb02e00087f
There are only about 200 intro posts, so it should be do-able in the short time frame.

I plan to pull out one student post that is the best example of each category I create. So the interface will be a simple pie chart with the percentages of each reason for taking a MOOC, but then when you click on a specific group/color, you’ll be taken to that person’s intro post so you viewers can “meet” them.

I’m certainly open to suggestions on tools, critique, etc.

13 thoughts on “Data Story: Why People Take Free Online Courses (MOOCs)

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    The method of tile cleaning will depend more on the tile type.
    However there are couple of things to be followed to add the sheen and glow of the tiles.

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    Clean the spills as soon as they occur

    It is very crucial to clean dirt and water too as soon as they
    are split to prevent the stains. Place a doormat which helps in reduction of
    mud or dirt entering through footsteps.

    There are basically following tile floors where in one will use
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    Ceramic
    Porcelain
    Stone

    Porcelain Tile cleaning

    Porcelain tiles maintenance is not difficult if the surface
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    sweep it. The wet mopping is required once in a week.
    Use of mild floor cleaners will do for the mopping.
    One can make it at home by mixing vinegar and water.

    Ceramic Tile Cleaning

    The rule is followed here as well; remove the dirt as soon as possible.
    Vacuum clean the tiles every day or a simple broom can be used.
    Plain water or the special ceramic tile cleaners can be used for the
    wet mopping.

    Stone Tile Cleaning

    One need to be careful while cleaning the tiles made of stones as they are natural minerals.
    Never use harsh floor cleaners. Sweep or vacuum clean. After using any
    floor cleaner use a dry mop to soak any type of liquid residue.

    Grout Cleaning

    Along with the tile cleaning it is very important to regularly clean the grout, i.e.
    the lines between the tiles. Hence tile and grout cleaning goes simultaneously.
    Grout is porous in nature and attracts dirt,
    grease etc. The surface looks shabby if the
    grout is unclean. It can also be a cause of mildew or mould in the damp areas like bathrooms.
    It is best to have a seal (colour or clear) on the grout which will not
    only protect the surface but also acts as an anti-fungal agent.

    Many a times it gets difficult to maintain the floor due to hectic working schedules.
    Hence we come in picture and provide the tile and grout cleaning services to our clients at
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    Following steps are followed for the tile and grout cleaning
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    Pre inspection of the tiles and floor.
    Shifting of the furniture, if any, from that space.
    Dry Sweeping of the surface
    Application of the suitable cleaning solution.
    Cleaning the surface with a soft pad.
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    Do the regular floor cleaning
    Clean the spills as soon as they occur

    It is very crucial to clean dirt and water too as soon as they are split to prevent
    the stains. Place a doormat which helps in reduction of mud or dirt entering through footsteps.

    There are basically following tile floors where
    in one will use the tile and grout cleaning process, types of tiles are
    as follow –

    Ceramic
    Porcelain
    Stone

    Porcelain Tile cleaning

    Porcelain tiles maintenance is not difficult if the surface is cleaned regularly.
    The surface can be vacuum cleaned every day or just sweep it.
    The wet mopping is required once in a week.
    Use of mild floor cleaners will do for the mopping. One can make it
    at home by mixing vinegar and water.

    Ceramic Tile Cleaning

    The rule is followed here as well; remove the dirt
    as soon as possible. Vacuum clean the tiles every day or a simple broom can be used.
    Plain water or the special ceramic tile cleaners can be
    used for the wet mopping.

    Stone Tile Cleaning

    One need to be careful while cleaning the tiles made of stones as they are natural
    minerals. Never use harsh floor cleaners. Sweep or vacuum clean.
    After using any floor cleaner use a dry mop to soak any
    type of liquid residue.

    Grout Cleaning

    Along with the tile cleaning it is very important
    to regularly clean the grout, i.e. the lines between the tiles.
    Hence tile and grout cleaning goes simultaneously. Grout is porous in nature and attracts dirt, grease etc.
    The surface looks shabby if the grout is unclean. It can also be a cause
    of mildew or mould in the damp areas like bathrooms.

    It is best to have a seal (colour or clear) on the grout which will not
    only protect the surface but also acts as an anti-fungal agent.

    Many a times it gets difficult to maintain the floor
    due to hectic working schedules. Hence we come in picture and provide the tile and grout cleaning
    services to our clients at a very affordable price.
    Moreover the price depends on the type of the tiles, number of tiles and size
    of the tiles to be cleaned.

    Following steps are followed for the tile and grout cleaning after you contact us-

    Pre inspection of the tiles and floor.
    Shifting of the furniture, if any, from that space.

    Dry Sweeping of the surface
    Application of the suitable cleaning solution.
    Cleaning the surface with a soft pad.
    High pressure cleaning
    Mopping and drying the surface.

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