Students' Impression Management in MOOCs: An Opportunity for Existential Learning?

Abstract

The article considers students’ impression management on discussion boards of massive open online courses (MOOCs) by applying the conceptual framework provided by Simmel and Goffman. Students exhibit different motives and functions of impression management, ranging from the need to “fit in” over selfexperimentation to Machiavellian interests. This holds for education in conventional classrooms as much as for online courses, and indulging in impression management strategies and receiving (indirect) feedback for it can be considered part of existential learning. However, the article argues that in the lean medium of a MOOC, it is more difficult for a teacher to interpret students’ impression management and to react accordingly. This constitutes a challenge for the humanities, which conventionally aim at a holistic education including students’ personal development.