The Value of MOOC Certificates versus Traditional Credentials and Experience: Data and Analysis Files

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) Mariela Rivas, University of California, Irvine; Rachel Baker, University of California, Irvine; Brent Evans, Vanderbilt University

Version:  View help for Version V1

Name File Type Size Last Modified
MN_data.csv text/csv 159.2 KB 01/20/2021 02:10:PM
MN_dofile.do text/x-stata-syntax 30.9 KB 01/21/2021 08:59:AM
MT_data.csv text/csv 178.6 KB 01/20/2021 02:09:PM
MT_dofile.do text/x-stata-syntax 25.4 KB 01/21/2021 09:00:AM
READ_ME_FIRST.docx application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document 68.1 KB 01/20/2021 02:34:PM

Project Citation: 

Rivas, Mariela, Baker, Rachel, and Evans, Brent. The Value of MOOC Certificates versus Traditional Credentials and Experience: Data and Analysis Files. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2021-01-22. https://doi.org/10.3886/E130725V1

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary This deposit contains the data and analysis files necessary to produce the tables in "Do MOOCs Make You More Marketable? An Experimental Analysis of the Value of MOOCs Relative to Traditional Credentials and Experience" published in AERA Open. 

The abstract is below: 

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are marketed as opportunities for participants to improve their labor market outcomes, and tens of thousands of students have paid for career-focused MOOC certificate programs. However, there is limited and conflicting research on MOOCs and labor market outcomes. Using two randomized control trials, we test Amazon’s Mechanical Turk respondents’ preferences for hiring hypothetical freelance web developers. In the first experiment, we examine preferences for profiles with MOOCs as compared to profiles with traditional degrees (bachelor’s, associates, and community college certificates). Respondents preferred all traditional degrees over a MOOC; MOOCs do not serve as substitutes for traditional postsecondary credentials. In the second experiment, we examine preferences for MOOCs as compared to no listed credential. Results demonstrate a 61–percentage point preference for MOOC credentials compared to no MOOC credential; the preference does not vary across levels of professional experience.

Scope of Project

Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage United States of America
Time Period(s):  View help for Time Period(s) 2/2018 – 6/2018 (February to June 2018)
Collection Date(s):  View help for Collection Date(s) 2/2018 – 6/2018 (February to June 2018)
Universe:  View help for Universe Adults in the United States
Data Type(s):  View help for Data Type(s) experimental data; survey data
Collection Notes:  View help for Collection Notes Collected from Amazon Mechanical Turk


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Published Versions

V1 [2021-01-22]

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