The Persistence Puzzle: Bibliometric Insights into Dropout in MOOCs

Irina-Daniela Cișmașu, Bianca Raluca Cibu, Liviu-Adrian Cotfas () and Camelia Delcea
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Irina-Daniela Cișmașu: Department of Financial and Economic Analysis and Valuation, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 010552 Bucharest, Romania
Bianca Raluca Cibu: Department of Economic Informatics and Cybernetics, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 0105552 Bucharest, Romania
Liviu-Adrian Cotfas: Department of Economic Informatics and Cybernetics, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 0105552 Bucharest, Romania
Camelia Delcea: Department of Economic Informatics and Cybernetics, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 0105552 Bucharest, Romania

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 7, 1-42

Abstract: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a relatively new educational model that provides free access to educational content regardless of location or time. Despite these benefits, MOOCs encounter significant challenges, such as low completion rates, high dropout rates, and inconsistent participant comprehension, often due to the absence of simulations and practical activities. Incorporating sustainable education principles into MOOCs could bring benefits to the long-term effectiveness of the learning process, ensuring conscious learning practices. To address the issue of MOOC dropout rates and assess the scientific interest in this area, a bibliometric analysis was conducted on a dataset of 193 papers sourced from the ISI Web of Science database, spanning from 2013 to 2023. Papers were selected based on relevant keywords for the study. The analysis highlights key academic institutions, leading authors, and publication trends within this field. It reveals a strong and growing interest in MOOC dropout rates, with an annual growth rate of 40.04%. Research trends were identified by analyzing n-grams from keywords, titles, abstracts, and keywords plus, supplemented by a detailed review of the most cited papers globally. A collaborative network analysis was performed to explore author collaborations, their global distribution, institutional affiliations, research objectives, and study directions. The findings from the most cited papers show an increasing focus on understanding the factors contributing to MOOC dropout rates and developing strategies to address these issues.

Keywords: MOOC; dropout; bibliometric analysis; n-gram analysis; three-fields plot; thematic map; thematic evolution; factorial analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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