Factors that adults attribute for finishing an xMOOC on energy sustainability

MOOCs are mainly being used by adults with an educational background of a college degree. Despite the disappointing results in the statistics of completion of the courses, specialists suggest moving the attention from the completion of these to focus on the intentions of the students. Meanwhile, researchers have mainly studied the obstacles why students do not finish MOOCs, but little has been studied about what the success factors are for the participants. The present investigation tries to study specifically the adult participants, divided into three age groups, to compare which are the most influential factors to finish a MOOC. In this research, participants from different Spanish speaking countries were chosen (n = 1978) to compare the factors that most influenced them to complete a MOOC. It was identified that among the age groups of adults, the most relevant factor to finish a MOOC were the personal factors; which may include the way of studying or how the student organizes her o his time.