Microsoft Word - 50b1-2d88-8bd5-f8f3 A Journal of Culture, English Language, Teaching & Literature ISSN 1414-3320 (Print), ISSN 2502-4914 (Online) Vol. 21 No.2; December 2021 Copyright © Soegijapranata Catholic University, Indonesia . MOOC as an Alternative for Teaching and Learning During Covid-19 Pandemic: Students’ Motivation and Demotivation Reza Anggriyashati Adara Universitas Islam “45” Bekasi, Indonesia email: reza.adara@gmail.com Received: 15-04-2021 Accepted: 10-12-2021 Published: 30-12-2021 mailto:suwarni@bundamulia.ac.id https://doi.org/10.24167/celt.v21i2; ISSN: 1412-3320 (print); ISSN: 2502-4914 (online); Accredited; DOAJ MOOC as an Alternative for Teaching and Learning During Covid-19 Pandemic: Students’ Motivation and Demotivation Reza Anggriyashati Adara reza.adara@gmail.com Universitas Islam “45” Bekasi, Indonesia Abstract: Covid-19 pandemic has forced educators and students to use online learning instead of real-life classrooms. One of the learning platforms that seems to be popularly used during the pandemic is MOOC (Massive Open Online Course). The present study aims to analyze the motivation dan demotivation factors of Indonesian EFL learners toward MOOC by using a qualitative descriptive method. In order to obtain the results, ten respondents were interviewed. The interview results were transcribed and analyzed using NVivo software. Based on the present research’s findings, despite relatively positive attitudes toward MOOCs shown by the majority of respondents, the respondents were demotivated by MOOCs because they can get easily distracted when learning through MOOCs, they get lack feedback from tutors and peers and unreliable internet connections. However, the respondents are motivated to join MOOCs because MOOCs provide diverse subjects, encourage students to be autonomous, and provide effective and flexible learning. The results suggest that MOOCs can be an effective alternative for EFL teaching and learning during the pandemic but MOOCs need to be provided with better interaction between students and tutors to reduce students’ demotivation and encourage more positive attitudes as well as motivation. Keywords: MOOC, attitudes, motivation, foreign language learning, online language learning. Abstrak: Pandemi Covid-19 telah memaksa pendidik dan siswa untuk menggunakan pembelajaran online alih-alih ruang kelas kehidupan nyata. Salah satu platform pembelajaran yang tampaknya populer digunakan di masa pandemi adalah MOOC (Massive Open Online Course). Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk Adara, R. A. MOOCs as an Alternative for Teaching and Learning During 207 Covid-19 Pandemic: Students’ Motivation and Demotivation https://doi.org/10.24167/celt.v21i2; ISSN: 1412-3320 (print); ISSN: 2502-4914 (online); Accredited; DOAJ menganalisis faktor motivasi dan demotivasi peserta didik EFL bahasa Indonesia terhadap MOOC dengan menggunakan metode deskriptif kualitatif. Untuk mendapatkan hasil tersebut, sepuluh responden diwawancarai. Hasil wawancara ditranskrip dan dianalisis menggunakan perangkat lunak NVivo. Berdasarkan temuan penelitian ini, meskipun sikap yang relatif positif terhadap MOOCs ditunjukkan oleh mayoritas responden, responden mengalami demotivasi oleh MOOCs karena mereka dapat dengan mudah terganggu ketika belajar melalui MOOCs, mereka mendapatkan kurangnya umpan balik dari tutor dan teman sebaya, dan internet yang tidak dapat diandalkan. koneksi. Namun, responden termotivasi untuk bergabung dengan MOOCs karena MOOCs menyediakan mata pelajaran yang diajarkan beragam, mendorong siswa untuk mandiri, dan memberikan pembelajaran yang efektif dan fleksibel. Hasilnya menunjukkan bahwa MOOCs dapat menjadi alternatif yang efektif untuk pengajaran dan pembelajaran EFL selama pandemi tetapi MOOCs perlu diberikan interaksi yang lebih baik antara siswa dan tutor untuk mengurangi demotivasi siswa dan mendorong sikap serta motivasi yang lebih positif. Kata kunci: MOOC, sikap, motivasi, pembelajaran bahasa asing, pembelajaran bahasa online. INTRODUCTION The covid-19 pandemic has changed the education system. In order to prevent the spread of the virus, schools and colleges need to be closed. Teaching and learning have resorted to online-based ones. Thus, finding suitable online learning and teaching platforms during the Covid-19 pandemic seems imperative to cater to the needs. MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) seems to be a suitable solution for teaching and learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is reported that the enrollment rate of MOOCs saw exponential growth during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic (Impey, 2020). On the other hand, demotivation is regarded as the opposite of motivation. Analyzing demotivation factors seems important because it can provide insights to reduce demotivation among learners (Adara & Najmudin, 2020). Investigating both motivation and demotivation factors can provide more information to educators and researchers regarding learners’ perceptions toward MOOCs. Therefore, it seems important to analyze learners’ motivation 208 Celt: A Journal of Culture, English Language Teaching & Literature, Volume 21, Number 2, December 2021, pp. 206–226 https://doi.org/10.24167/celt.v21i2; ISSN: 1412-3320 (print); ISSN: 2502-4914 (online); Accredited; DOAJ and demotivation factors toward MOOCs to see whether it can be a suitable alternative for teaching and learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. In this sense, investigating factors which affects learners’ motivation and attitudes toward MOOC has become an interesting topic among researchers (Cho & Heron, 2015; Kizilcec & Schneider, 2015; Shroff, Vogel & Coombes, 2008). It is because learners’ motivation and attitudes can influence their success in learning English through MOOCs. There is a relationship between learners’ motivation and achievement in an online learning context (Hart, 2012). A motivated learner might finish her online course with better results than an unmotivated one. A similar conclusion is also found in Cho & Heron’s (2015) study. In addition, a study by Kizilcec & Schneider (2015) showed how different motivational goals could affect different behavioral patterns of MOOC learners. For example, they found that learners who enrolled with their friends were likely to put more effort into their course materials. Several studies also showed how MOOC participants who were engaged more intensely with their peers were less likely to drop the online classes, showing the benefits of holding online classes with smaller participants (Ferguson & Clow, 2015; Halawa et al., 2014; Jordan, 2014; Onah et al., 2014). Therefore, the learner’s motivation is a major issue that ensures success and encouragement to complete these online courses (Lusta, 2018). It can be said that analyzing learners’ motivation and attitudes toward MOOCs might provide educators and MOOCs providers with insights to provide MOOCs which encourage positive attitudes and improve learners’ motivation in the near future. Although there are numerous studies that investigate MOOCs (Bates, 2014; Chacón-Beltrán, 2014; Pence, 2012), there is a lack of studies that specifically analyses learners’ motivation and demotivation toward MOOCs, especially in the context of EFL learning during Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia. Kizilzec & Schneider (2015) conducted a study on learners’ motivation in the online learning environment. In addition, Berliyanto & Santoso (2016) analyzed seven opportunities and challenged conducting MOOCs in Indonesia. Nevertheless, the above studies have not touched on EFL learners’ motivation and demotivation toward MOOCs, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. A study that analyses learners’ motivation and demotivation toward MOOCs will provide deeper insights into how MOOCs should be designed, particularly in Indonesia. The present study aims to analyze a group of EFL learners’ motivation and demotivation factors toward MOOCs. Specifically, the present study is guided by the following research questions; Adara, R. A. MOOCs as an Alternative for Teaching and Learning During 209 Covid-19 Pandemic: Students’ Motivation and Demotivation https://doi.org/10.24167/celt.v21i2; ISSN: 1412-3320 (print); ISSN: 2502-4914 (online); Accredited; DOAJ RQ1. What are the attitudes of a group of Indonesian EFL learners toward MOOCs? RQ2. What factors motivate a group of Indonesian EFL learners to join MOOCs? RQ3. What factors demotivate a group of Indonesian EFL learners to join MOOCs? LITERATURE REVIEW This section aims to discuss theories and previous studies which became the background of the present study. Following is the organization of this section. The first sub-section will discuss learners’ attitudes and motivation in EFL learning whereas the next sub-section will review the theoretical background and studies related to MOOCs. A. Learners’ attitude and motivation Both attitudes and motivation can predict learners’ success in EFL learning. In this regard, attitudes can be defined as either positive or negative feelings toward a language which might reflect a person’s impressions of linguistic difficulty or simplicity. In addition, attitudes reflect a person’s feelings toward speakers of that language (Richards et al, 1992). Attitudes are considered parts of motivation in language learning because they can determine a learner’s motivation and motives for learning (Gardner, 1985, p.10). Thus, motivation can be regarded as an initiative that starts actions (Dörnyei, 1998). There are numerous studies that analyze EFL learners’ attitudes and motivation (Lightbown & Spada, 1993; Victori & Lockhart, 1995; Walqui, 2000). Those studies showed how important positive attitudes and motivation to maintaining learners’ interest. Without having positive attitudes and motivation, learners are unlikely to maintain their language learning process. It can be said that those variables are important in EFL learning. Attitudes and motivation have a co-dependency relationship. It is argued that attitude and motivation cannot exist separately (Ellis, 1997) as they are needed to reach a successful language learning experience (Gardner, 1985). Several studies have shown that students with positive attitudes are likely to be more motivated than those with negative attitudes toward language learning 210 Celt: A Journal of Culture, English Language Teaching & Literature, Volume 21, Number 2, December 2021, pp. 206–226 https://doi.org/10.24167/celt.v21i2; ISSN: 1412-3320 (print); ISSN: 2502-4914 (online); Accredited; DOAJ (Bidin et al, 2009; Thang et al, 2011). It is because students’ negative attitudes might obstruct their learning process, making it difficult for them to obtain new knowledge in the target language (Littlewood, 1983). Furthermore, there is a relationship between learners’ motivation, attitudes, and needs (Petrides, 2006). In this sense, students might be more motivated because they have positive attitudes as well as needs to master a certain language. The weight of evidence suggests a connection between learners’ motivation and positive attitudes. Furthermore, motivation can be divided into extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. In this regard, the prior one can be defined as factors from external sources which make someone wants to achieve something (Tuan, 2012). Harmer (2001) elaborates that when a learner is extrinsically motivated, he/she learns a target language for functional reasons such as passing exams, getting better jobs or passing university entrance tests. Extrinsic motivation can come from various sources such as peers, family, and teachers. On the other hand, intrinsic motivation refers to certain feat that someone is willing to do to master a language (Gardner, 1985). If someone is intrinsically motivated, he will view learning activities, not the rewards, as something satisfying (Harmer, 2001). Although intrinsic motivation is deemed crucial because it can fulfill psychological needs (Deci & Ryan, 2000) and several studies have shown its effect on learners’ success in language learning (Cordova & Lepper, 1996; Deci & Ryan, 1985; Gottfried, 1990), it does not mean that extrinsic motivation is less important. Both types of motivation affect with each other. This point will be elaborated in the next paragraph. Extrinsic motivation can affect intrinsic motivation. Ryan & Deci (2000) argue that learners will be more intrinsically motivated toward activities that suit their interests. This intrinsic motivation can be cultivated by providing suitable external factors such as learning environment and motivating teachers. Numerous studies show how supportive learning environment (good lighting, suitable temperature, the acoustic, desks’ layout) can affect learners’ motivation positively (Harmer, 2001; Haynes, 1998; Lumsden, 1994). In addition, teachers seem to have huge impacts on learners’ motivation. This point is suggested by several studies (Davies & Pearse, 2000; Lumsden, 1994). Furthermore, Groves (2010) found that a learner could be intrinsically motivated if he/she was faced with supportive learning environment and get extrinsic motivation they need. Therefore, it can be said that both types of motivation are needed to support learners. Adara, R. A. MOOCs as an Alternative for Teaching and Learning During 211 Covid-19 Pandemic: Students’ Motivation and Demotivation https://doi.org/10.24167/celt.v21i2; ISSN: 1412-3320 (print); ISSN: 2502-4914 (online); Accredited; DOAJ B. MOOC The chances of using Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in EFL learning seems bigger. It has been predicted that MOOCs might dominate the main part of future education, especially higher education (Chauhan, 2014). It will be unsurprising if MOOC can eventually be a fixture in EFL learning. MOOC has been claimed as an efficient platform to provide accessible and affordable higher education (Carey, 2012; de Waard et al, 2011; Lewin, 2012). It is because MOOCs make it possible for learners from diverse background to join a class rather than using a traditional mode of teaching (Wong, 2016). The above factors show how beneficial MOOCs for learners. Nevertheless, it does not mean that MOOCs are not without criticisms. The huge number of participants in MOOCs imply a low instructor-to-learner ratio, implying that instructors have to deal with numerous participants and less time to provide individual attention needed to improve learning outcomes (Hew & Cheung, 2014). Besides that, numerous discussions and interactions may make it difficult for the participants who want to keep with key points of respective courses and follow course’s schedule (Knox, 2014). Thus, as argued by Wong (2016), it seems important for institutions and researchers to be aware of best way to deliver MOOC for effective learning. One of solutions to provide effective learning experience in MOOCs is understanding learners’ motivation to join MOOC. This point will be discussed further in the next paragraph. Understanding learners’ motivation to join MOOCs might provide better inputs for institutions and researchers to design better MOOCs. Kizilzec & Schneider (2015) argue that learners who choose to engage in online learning have their own motivation to do that. Thus, understanding their motivation might provide information to design MOOCs that can serve numerous goals from both learners and instructors. Several studies have analyzed learners’ motivation in online environments. A study of Cho & Heron (2015) showed that intrinsic motivation of online learners is correlated with their learning performance. Several studies suggest that in online learning environment, participants tend to focus on segments which related to their goals and interests (Kizilcec & Schneider, 2015; Wang & Baker, 2015). These studies toward learners’ motivation in MOOC might help course developers to build better online courses. 212 Celt: A Journal of Culture, English Language Teaching & Literature, Volume 21, Number 2, December 2021, pp. 206–226 https://doi.org/10.24167/celt.v21i2; ISSN: 1412-3320 (print); ISSN: 2502-4914 (online); Accredited; DOAJ C. Demotivation Demotivation has negative effects toward students and investigating it is imperative because it can provide insights to reduce it among learners. Demotivation refers to factors which reduce learners’ motivation (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2013). In contrast to motivation, demotivation can influence learners negatively (Falout, Elwood & Hood, 2009) as demotivated learners may not achieve their learning goals (Vibulphol, 2016). In addition, Kaivanpanah & Ghasemi (2011) remark that the existence of demotivation might contribute to a failure in second language learning as demotivation may make language learning becoming more difficult and less interesting to students. Besides that, demotivation can decrease lessons’ efficiency and purpose (Dörnyei & Murphey, 2003; Krishna & Pathan, 2013). Demotivated learners might lose both instrumental and integrative motivation (Bahramy & Araghi, 2013) and influence vocabulary learning of learners negatively (Tanaka, 2017). It can be said that demotivation is something that needs to be avoided at all cost by language learners in order to reach their language learning goals. Furthermore, investigation on demotivation may give information to teachers on how to deal with it (Ghadirzadeh et al, 2012) and comprehend target language effectively (Kikuchi, 2009). The weight of evidence suggests that despite its negative effects, demotivation is important to be analyzed because learners will benefit from its investigation. METHOD The present study uses a descriptive qualitative method to obtain its data. The qualitative method is applied because it is more suitable to investigate L2 classrooms were experimental research maybe not feasible due to the generalisability of its findings which seem difficult to be found in real- life classrooms (Nassaji, 2015). In addition, the sampling used in the present study is convenience sampling. The participants are ten EFL learners in a private university in Bekasi, Indonesia. The participants had taken an online course related to English learning for three months. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in Bahasa Indonesia and translated into English. The interviews’ results were transcribed and analyzed using NVivo software. Adara, R. A. MOOCs as an Alternative for Teaching and Learning During 213 Covid-19 Pandemic: Students’ Motivation and Demotivation https://doi.org/10.24167/celt.v21i2; ISSN: 1412-3320 (print); ISSN: 2502-4914 (online); Accredited; DOAJ RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS This section aims to discuss the results of the present study. In order to provide better organization, the discussion will be organized based on its respective research question. RQ1. What are the attitudes of a group of Indonesian EFL learners toward MOOCs? The results of the present study suggest that most respondents perceive MOOCs positively. Following are the comments of Student 1 and Student 2 regarding MOOCs: “I think MOOC is a good way for them who wants to learn English in a practical way because they can access it everywhere, every time they want.” (Student 1) “I really like (teaching method given in) MOOCs. In my opinion, English learning with such method is very good because we can rewind the part which we could not understand or skip or if we want to understand the [materials] more because most MOOCs provide videos like Udemy [a MOOCs’ provider] where all materials are structured…so I think MOOCs are very good.” (Student 2) The above comment shows the respondents’ positive attitudes toward MOOCs. They regarded MOOCs as a valuable platform that can provide a good quality education that can be accessed everywhere and at every time. In addition, unlike real-life classrooms, MOOCs allow them to repeat certain parts they want as MOOCs usually provide videos for their presentations. It can be said that the majority of respondents have positive attitudes toward MOOCs. In regard to the above findings, several studies also suggest a positive relationship between MOOCs and learners’ attitudes. A study of Razak & Al- Suhail (2017) on the attitudes of a group EFL Iraqi learners toward MOOC indicates how students perceived MOOC as useful for learning English academic writing and improving their academic performance. In addition, a study of Hashemifardnia et al (2021) on the effects of Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Iranian EFL learners’ speaking complexity, accuracy, and fluency suggests significantly positive attitudes of participants toward MOOC instruction for speaking classes. Besides positive attitudes, the study suggests 214 Celt: A Journal of Culture, English Language Teaching & Literature, Volume 21, Number 2, December 2021, pp. 206–226 https://doi.org/10.24167/celt.v21i2; ISSN: 1412-3320 (print); ISSN: 2502-4914 (online); Accredited; DOAJ the advantages of MOOCs toward participants’ speaking skills. Using an experimental method, Hashemifardnia et al (2021) divided their participants into two groups; experimental and control groups. Unlike the control group, the experimental group showed better performance in the speaking test. Besides that, Lytovchenko & Voronina’s (2020) study on the use of MOOCs as a remote learning tool for teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) at universities during the Covid-19 pandemic indicates participants’ positive attitudes toward MOOCs. The above results suggest the positive impacts of MOOCs on learners’ attitudes. RQ2. What factors motivate a group of Indonesian EFL learners to join MOOCs? Despite the challenges in implementing MOOCs, the findings of present study show that most respondents are motivated to learn English through MOOCs. Furthermore, the findings of present study found some factors that motivate the participants to join MOOCs. The following are factors that motivate the respondents to learn English through MOOCs: A. MOOCs provide diverse subjects to be learned One of the main factors which motivate the respondents to learn English through MOOCs is that they can provide diverse subjects to be learned. Below is the comments of respondents regarding diverse subjects which are offered by MOOCs: “In my opinion, MOOC is good because it is an online-based platform so that we can choose a course that we like…” Student 2 “In my opinion, MOOC is very effective because it can, umm, add knowledge besides one we get from the college, of course.” Student 6 “I think [MOOCs] are pretty effective, because, umm this online learning system [allows] us to know English language learning system which is offered by reputable universities abroad.” Student 8 The following comments indicate that the respondents seem to regard MOOCs positively because they offer various knowledge besides one offers by the college. Having diverse choices of learning materials allows learners to broaden their knowledge. In addition, MOOCs provide the respondents with a chance to see language learning systems from other countries. The Adara, R. A. MOOCs as an Alternative for Teaching and Learning During 215 Covid-19 Pandemic: Students’ Motivation and Demotivation https://doi.org/10.24167/celt.v21i2; ISSN: 1412-3320 (print); ISSN: 2502-4914 (online); Accredited; DOAJ participants of Ma & Lee’s (2018) study also mention the abundant and diverse materials offered by MOOCs as a motivating factor. A study of Uchidiuono et al (2017) on understanding English-language learners’ motivation in English-language MOOCs shows that enrolling in MOOCs allows learners to obtain specific knowledge that they cannot get in their colleges or a specific set of skills that can enhance their careers. In this sense, MOOCs seem to be able to cater to learners’ specific needs regarding the subject they want to master. Furthermore, Zheng et al (2015) argue that MOOCs can evolve into a reliable learning channel that helps individuals to enrich their professional knowledge. However, it may be difficult to cater to all needs of learners. In addition, creating MOOCs for every subject of knowledge may not be beneficial. Instead of designing MOOCs for diverse subjects that may not be beneficial in the long run, as argued by Uchidiuono et al (2017), it is important to design MOOCs that can meet the long-term goals of learners such as being a fluent speaker of English or mastering certain skills that can benefit their professional lives. B. MOOCs help the respondents to be more autonomous MOOCs link with learners’ autonomy. As MOOCs provide learners with flexible time and a more relaxed attendance approach than real-life classrooms, it helps learners to be more autonomous in arranging their schedules. Below is a comment from Student 5 regarding the effects of MOOCs on her autonomous learning style: “In my opinion, MOOCs are very good to train me to be more autonomous. In this online era, we are demanded to be more independent, especially when we do [college tasks]. During the pandemic, we are used to being independent because we [have been learning through MOOCs before].” Student 5 MOOCs help the respondent to be more autonomous because of their nature which allows more freedom than in real-life classrooms. Instead of being ruled by schedule as dictated in real-life classrooms, MOOCs let learners to set their own schedule. During the pandemic, it is useful because the respondents are used to setting their own pace. It can be said that the findings of the present study suggest that MOOCs are considered useful to promote autonomy. Related to the above paragraph, autonomy can be developed through MOOCs as they give learners a chance to practice autonomy through feedback and guidance provision (Perifanou, 2014). Furthermore, the success of 216 Celt: A Journal of Culture, English Language Teaching & Literature, Volume 21, Number 2, December 2021, pp. 206–226 https://doi.org/10.24167/celt.v21i2; ISSN: 1412-3320 (print); ISSN: 2502-4914 (online); Accredited; DOAJ MOOCs depends on learners’ autonomy (Davis et al., 2014). The findings of Ginting et al’s (2020) study reported that autonomous students are more likely to complete MOOC programs. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of students is autonomous. On the other hand, a study of Misir et al (2018) shows that students who enrolled in MOOLC (Massive Open Online Language Course) are highly autonomous and more responsible for their own learning. Those studies show that each learner may have different levels of autonomy. Similarly, Ding & Shen’s (2017) study on learners’ autonomy in EFL MOOC in China reports that each respondent is different in the extent to which they exercised autonomy and how MOOCs have the potential for developing learners’ autonomy. It can be said that learners’ autonomy is something that needs to be developed and MOOCs can be a platform to promote it. C. MOOCs provide an effective and flexible learning One of the main factors which motivate learners to opt for MOOCs is their flexibility. Unlike real-life classrooms with exact time schedules, MOOCs allow learners to commit to their studies at their own pace and schedule. For some learners, it can be considered more effective than in real-life classrooms. Following is a comment from Student 3 regarding MOOCs’ flexibility: “My opinion, I like the MOOC because we can study anytime as long as we have internet connection also a solution for those people who don’t have time to go to the courses’ place” (Student 3). The above comments show that the respondents think the advantages of MOOCs are its flexibility and effectiveness as they are not bound to classrooms. Similarly, Islam et al (2019) add that MOOCs are effective in achieving the goals of sustainable development as they provide an effective learning environment where students can learn at their own pace and generate less amount of carbon footprints. In addition, Yildirim (2020) argues that this format of MOOC allows 24/7 access to education and supports lifelong learning. Therefore, MOOCs seem suitable for an extraordinary situation such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on the findings of the present study and previous studies, learners seem to have positive attitudes toward MOOCs. Nevertheless, it does not mean that MOOCs are free from their perceived disadvantages. The Adara, R. A. MOOCs as an Alternative for Teaching and Learning During 217 Covid-19 Pandemic: Students’ Motivation and Demotivation https://doi.org/10.24167/celt.v21i2; ISSN: 1412-3320 (print); ISSN: 2502-4914 (online); Accredited; DOAJ respondents of the present study express some of the perceived advantages of MOOCs. Following are respondents’ perceptions of MOOCs’ disadvantages. D. A lot of distractions Unlike real-life classrooms, MOOCs have a more-relaxed approach in attendance. Learners do not have to attend the class in a specific time and can study anytime they want. Although san uch approach seems to offer greater freedom and more relaxed, it can make learners to be easily distracted. Following is a comment of Student 4: "Although I ththe ink online course is quite effective, students can be distracted easily with social media in their smartphones [during online course]. Umm, personally I prefer real-life classrooms because it is more understandable and we can practice [the lessons], especially [if we learn] applied linguistics courses that need to be practiced directly.” The above comment suggests that learners can be distracted easily when they learn through MOOCs. As smartphones are connected to internet and usually equipped with various social media, learners may get distracted from learning lessons from MOOCs. It is why Student A prefers real-life classrooms, especially with classes that need practices. The findings Rai & Chunrao’s (2016) study on fact that affect the success and failuresMOOCsMOOC show that students can be easily distracted while browsing onlcoursesurse. Thus, they note that it is important for students in MOOCs to devote their time to study. Similarly, Ma & Lee (2018) argue that learners should be equipped with learners’ self-regulating strategies in order to manage distractions while learning in MOOCs. It can be said that this disadvantage can be overcome with self-regulating strategies. A further study that specifically analyses learners’ self-regulating strategies in MOOCs can provide better insight into this matter. E. Lack of feedback from the instructors or peers Besides distractions, the findings of the present study suggest that lack of feedback becomes one of the disadvantages of MOOCs. Due to its massive size, the ratio of instructors and participants is not proportional. There are more participants than instructors can handle. It is why getting personal feedback seems impossible in MOOCs due to its nature (Hodges et al, 2016; Roth, 2013). Following are the comments of respondents regarding the lack of feedback in MOOCs: 218 Celt: A Journal of Culture, English Language Teaching & Literature, Volume 21, Number 2, December 2021, pp. 206–226 https://doi.org/10.24167/celt.v21i2; ISSN: 1412-3320 (print); ISSN: 2502-4914 (online); Accredited; DOAJ “I think MOOC is a good way for those who want to learn English in a practical way because they can access it everywhere, every time they want. And for the effectiveness I think for me, not really effective because I need a feedback from my teachers about my progress, problem or my improvement through face to face.” Student 1 “In my opinion, what makes MOOCs less effective is its lack of feedback. It is because when we learn through MOOCs, we don’t get direct feedback. Sometimes we need to wait for feedback or we don’t get any. It is difficult when we have some questions regarding the lessons but we can’t find the answers from anywhere including the internet.” Student 9 The above comment suggests that a lack of feedback can make MOOCs lose their effectiveness. In addition, MOOCs participants may feel at a loss when they have subsequent questions regarding the materials because of this lack of communication between the participants and the instructors. In addition to the findings of the present study, the findings of Yıldırım’s (2020) study on teachers’ views on MOOCs also indicate a lack of feedback as a factor that leads to reduced motivation among MOOCs participants. Besides reduced motivation, lack of feedback can lead to students’ dropout decisions (Aldowah et al, 2019; Halawa et al, 2014; Hone & El Said, 2016; Jordan, 2015). In addition to the lack of feedback between the instructors and the participants, the latter party seems to be deprived of interaction with each other. A study by Cole & Timmerman (2015) shows that limited possibilities for interaction in MOOCs make it hard for participants to interact with each other. Thus, in order to overcome such problem, Aldowah et al (2016) suggest providing regulations or changes in MOOCs’ system that ensure timely feedback of instructors. In addition, as proposed by Lytovchenko & Voronina (2020), the use of MOOCs during pandemic should be accompanied with additional technologies that allow real time on-line communication such as Zoom, Skype or Microsoft Teams. It can be said that lack of feedback can be a challenge for implementing MOOCs but it can be overcome with better regulations regarding timely feedback and additional technologies to ensure interaction between instructors and MOOCs’ participants as well as one among participants. Adara, R. A. MOOCs as an Alternative for Teaching and Learning During 219 Covid-19 Pandemic: Students’ Motivation and Demotivation https://doi.org/10.24167/celt.v21i2; ISSN: 1412-3320 (print); ISSN: 2502-4914 (online); Accredited; DOAJ F. Internet connection MOOCs depend on the availability of internet connection. Without a reliable internet connection, it seems impossible to learn through MOOCs. Despite knowing the benefits of MOOCs, reliable internet connection makes it difficult for most respondents to attend MOOCs. Numerous studies also report lack of reliable internet connection as one of challenges in implementing MOOCs (Lytovchenko & Voronina, 2020; Ma & Lee, 2018; Yıldırım, 2020). Thus, educators need to take into consideration whether their students have reliable access of internet before implementing MOOCs in their classes. CONCLUSION The present study analyzed motivational factors and attitudes of a group of EFL learners in learning English through MOOC (Massive Open Online Course). The present study applied a qualitative method by giving semi- structured interviews to ten respondents. The results showed that the respondents have relatively positive attitudes toward MOOCs. In addition, the respondents were motivated to learn through MOOCs because they can provide diverse subjects to be learned, help learners to be more autonomous, and provide an effective and flexible learning. Nevertheless, the respondents were demotivated with MOOCs because they were more prone to be distracted when learning through MOOCs, they get lack of feedback from instructors and peers, and lack of reliable internet connection. The findings of present study suggest that MOOCs can be a suitable alternative for learning and teaching during Covid-19 pandemic. However, there are several factors which need to be considered before implementing MOOCs to regular classrooms. Firstly, students need to be familiar with MOOCs’ format. The respondents of present study have been familiar with MOOCs prior data collection. This familiarity will help them to gain benefits from MOOCs. In addition, MOOCs are more suitable for autonomous learners. Thus, teachers cannot directly implement MOOCs to their classrooms before understanding their students’ characteristics. Besides that, teachers should make sure that students will not lose their interaction to teachers or peers. Such interaction will motivate students better. Teachers can provide students with online meeting such as ones from Zoom or Google Meet. In addition, teachers can group their students for certain projects or study groups while finishing MOOC. By conducting those actions, teachers 220 Celt: A Journal of Culture, English Language Teaching & Literature, Volume 21, Number 2, December 2021, pp. 206–226 https://doi.org/10.24167/celt.v21i2; ISSN: 1412-3320 (print); ISSN: 2502-4914 (online); Accredited; DOAJ can make sure students get some interaction with their classmates. Nevertheless, teachers still have to make sure that all students have reliable internet connection because the positive sides of MOOCs will not matter if there is no access to internet connection. Despite the efforts to minimize it, the present study is not without some limitations. Firstly, the present study will benefit from longer duration of data collection and a bigger number of respondents. In addition, the present study will gain deeper insights if it is conducted with varied research instruments such as questionnaires or students’ journals to record students’ perceptions of MOOCs. 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