Predicting MOOC Performance with Week 1 Behavior

Prior studies on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) suggest that there is a significant decrease in student participation after one week of instruction [8]. This paper uses a combination of students ’ Week 1 assignment performance and social interaction within the MOOC to predict their final performance in the course. The study also examines the role external incentives in final MOOC performance. Using logistic regression as a classifier, we are able to predict the probability of students earning certificates for completion of the MOOC, as well as the type of certificate (i.e