Could this overlooked component be the key to MOOC engagement? - Meris Stansbury, eCampus News

Researchers say formative assessment plays a critical role in student retention. Analyzing over 4,000 student comments and reviews of the 7 most active and highly-rated MOOCs, researchers say formative and peer assessment strategies in relation to MOOCs directly affect student engagement. According to researchers at the Open University of Catalonia (OUC), Spain, research on student engagement in MOOCs exists for non-didactic factors (profiles, demographics, institutional reputation) and didactic factors (course structure and content, workload and duration, type of exams and assessments), but little research has been conducted to determine whether different types of assessment (formative, non-formative, peer and self-assessment) or different student feedback approaches actually affect student engagement. http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/formative-assessment-mooc-299/