A corpus analysis of TESOL learner reviews: insights into teacher education MOOC design

ABSTRACT Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have become a prominent platform for teacher professional development, particularly in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). This exploratory study employs corpus linguistics methods, specifically keyword, collocation, and thematic analyses, to examine learner perspectives on the ‘TESOL specialization’ MOOCs on Coursera, which consist of eight courses designed for English language teachers. By analysing a corpus of 6776 online reviews, the study identifies the major themes characterising learners’ experiences. Key findings reveal that learners highly value these MOOCs for their engaging and informative content, well-presented, easy-to-follow materials, thought-provoking peer-reviewed assignments, practical applicability to classroom teaching, and contribution to professional growth. These insights provide valuable implications for MOOC designers, highlighting the need for courses that are not only pedagogically rich but also user-friendly and directly relevant to teaching practice. This research contributes to understanding effective MOOC design in teacher education, offering a data-driven approach to enhancing online learning experiences.