The Relationship of Course Content, Course Delivery, and Course Assessment Towards Students’ Satisfaction on Massive Open Online Course Platform: A Study on Personality Enrichment Course

The Relationship of Course Content, Course Delivery, and Course Assessment Towards Students’ Satisfaction on Massive Open Online Course Platform: A Study on Personality Enrichment Course

Nur Najjah Abd Rahim^*, Norzawani Ibrahim, Norasekin Abd Rashid, Ahmad Zuhairi Zainuddin, Nor Azlina Mohamed Yunus, Nini Hartini Asnawi

Faculty of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam Campus, Malaysia

*Corresponding author

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.906000450

Received: 11 June 2025; Accepted: 14 June 2025; Published: 23 July 2025

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study is to develop a conceptual framework to investigate the relationship between course content, course delivery, and course assessment towards students’ satisfaction with using the MOOC platform. The establishment of a MOOC platform is seen as a pivotal step in fostering interactive learning approaches, aimed at engaging and inspiring students to gain a thorough understanding of the Personality Enrichment course effectively. The originality of this study lies in its investigation of the relationship between course content, course delivery, and course assessment of the Personality Enrichment course towards students’ satisfaction on the MOOC platform, which has been ignored by the previous research. This conceptual framework is expected to be employed by the higher education sector to enhance their satisfaction with learning activities.

Keywords: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Personality Enrichment course, Course Content, Course Delivery, Course Assessment.

INTRODUCTION

In Malaysia, the key issue in personal enrichment is related to the ongoing efforts to close the skills gap and enhance human capital. The Malaysian government has recognized the need for comprehensive upskilling programs, particularly through initiatives like Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Despite substantial investments, including the RM6.8 billion allocation in Budget 2024, challenges persist in translating these programs into tangible economic benefits, such as higher income and improved living standards for participants. The emphasis is on not just upskilling but also ensuring that these skills align with market needs and contribute to meaningful employment (Ministry of Finance, 2023).

The highlighted issue shows that the Personality Enrichment course is vital and reliable for developing nation. Soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, are increasingly recognized as essential components of professional success. A Personality Enrichment course typically focuses on these skills, helping individuals navigate complex social environments and succeed in collaborative work settings (Robles, 2012). These skills are often more challenging to acquire than technical skills and are highly valued by employers across industries (Clarke, 2016). Besides, Personality Enrichment courses often emphasize the development of interpersonal skills, such as empathy, active listening, and conflict resolution, which are essential for building and maintaining healthy relationships. These skills are not only important in personal life but are also critical in professional settings, where teamwork and collaboration are key (Giorgi et al., 2024).

However, Personality Enrichment courses often require a high level of self-analysis and self-awareness, which can be difficult for many students. Engaging in self-reflection means confronting personal flaws, weaknesses, and areas for improvement, which can be emotionally challenging. Despite that, this course also required attractive content and infographic element to improve student satisfaction. The development of a MOOC platform is seen as a fundamental step in fostering interactive learning approaches, aimed at engaging and motivating students to gain a thorough understanding on Personality Enrichment course effectively. Since MOOCs are often self-paced learning, learners can spend more time on topics they find challenging and quickly move through areas they are already familiar with. This personalized approach can lead to a deeper understanding of the material. Learners can immediately apply what they learn to their personal or professional lives, enhancing their skills and personality in real-time.

To achieve high satisfaction among students, the development of MOOC platforms must consist of three main variables which are related to course content, course delivery, and course assessment (Almaiah & Alyoussef, 2019; Alhazzani, 2020). Therefore, the originality of the study is it investigates the relationship of course content of Personality Enrichment course, course delivery of Personality Enrichment course, course assessment of Personality Enrichment course towards student’s satisfaction on MOOC’s platform, something that has been unobserved among previous scholars.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Personality Enrichment Course

Personality enrichment courses, designed to enhance self-awareness, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills, have garnered increasing attention for their role in personal and professional development. Recent studies demonstrate that structured interventions which combining reflective journaling, group discussion, and experiential activities become significantly boost learners’ self-esteem, emotional intelligence, and communication competencies (Mehta et al., 2023; Singh & Kumar, 2024). For example, Mehta, Patel, and Shah (2023) found a 20% increase in emotional intelligence scores following an eight-week enrichment program, while Singh and Kumar (2024) reported improvements in assertiveness and leadership behaviours among undergraduates. Pratt and West (2022) highlighted that incorporation of mindfulness and goal-setting modules further cultivates self-efficacy and resilience, effects that persist at six-month follow-up. Moreover, Ahmed (2023) linked participation in personality enrichment courses to enhanced employability and job performance, particularly through strengthened soft skills.

Students’ satisfaction with the MOOC’s platform

Student satisfaction has long been recognized as a critical indicator of educational quality and effectiveness. It reflects learners’ overall contentment with their academic experiences, encompassing factors such as teaching quality, course content, learning environment, and support services. Particularly in online education and MOOCs, understanding student satisfaction is vital to improving retention, engagement, and learning outcomes. Student satisfaction in MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platforms can be defined as the degree to which learners perceive their educational experiences in these online courses as meeting or exceeding their expectations. It includes learners’ contentment with numerous factors such as course content, design of the MOOC, course delivery, presentation of course assessment, and overall learning outcomes. Satisfaction is frequently associated with learners’ drive to persist in their studies, successfully finish courses, and recommend MOOCs to others. According to Martin and Bolliger (2022), student satisfaction in online learning environments is formed by both intrinsic learner factors and extrinsic course elements, including course content quality, instructor presence, and technical infrastructure. Correspondingly, Hou and Wong (2024) also emphasize that satisfaction results from learners’ confirmation of expectations regarding course quality, platform functionality, and support services.

Based on a systematic literature review conducted by Martin and Bolliger (2022), their study identified key themes affecting online learner satisfaction. Their study emphasized that although learner characteristics received considerable attention, areas such as program quality and learner support remained relatively underexamined. Meanwhile, the study by Hou and Wong (2024) applied the SERVQUAL model and Expectation-Confirmation Theory to assess how MOOC quality impacts student loyalty. Their findings highlight that high-quality content, user-friendly platforms, active instructor involvement, community engagement, and valuable certifications are critical drivers of student satisfaction and loyalty in MOOCs. Different with the study by Ustaoğlu and Kukul (2022) on student satisfaction, their study utilized text mining techniques on 39,101 comments from 960 MOOCs to gauge learner satisfaction. The analysis revealed that positive learner experiences were often associated with clear course structure, engaging content, and effective instructor communication. Due to multi-factors can be influenced the student’s satisfaction on MOOC platform, as recommended by Almaiah & Alyoussef (2019) and Alhazzani (2020), this study is going to investigate the three factors which are course content, course delivery, and course assessment.

Course content of Personality Enrichment course

Course content plays a crucial role in shaping students’ learning experiences and outcomes. In the context of this study, it refers to the material, topics, and information delivered throughout an educational program or course. Effective course content must be relevant, well-structured, engaging, and aligned with learning objectives to foster meaningful learning. Course content must be quality in order to achieve student engagement and satisfaction. According to Martin and Bolliger (2022), well-designed course content with clear, comprehensive, and updated contributes plays a crucial role in enhancing learner experiences, especially in online and distance education contexts. They argue that content quality directly influences motivation and helps learners achieve intended competencies. Course content must be aligned with clearly defined learning objectives to ensure students acquire the necessary skills and knowledge (Biggs & Tang, 2015). In MOOCs, where learners are diverse, the adaptability and contextualization of content to meet various learner needs have become a key challenge (Hou & Wong, 2024). In other words, when course content is connected to real-world applications, it boosts students’ appreciation of the course and strengthens their internal motivation (Kahu & Nelson, 2018). Interactive course content that incorporates multimedia elements, quizzes, and practical exercises enhances engagement and retention (Sun, Tsai, Finger, Chen, & Yeh, 2021). Studies show that active learning strategies embedded in course content improve critical thinking and deepen understanding (Prince, 2020). Ustaoğlu and Kukul (2022) found that MOOCs with engaging and well-organized content recorded higher satisfaction rates among learners. Rapid changes in knowledge domains require frequent content updates to remain relevant. Continuous feedback from learners helps instructors refine and improve content quality (Martin & Bolliger, 2022). Zheng, Rosson, and Carroll (2022) emphasize the importance of dynamic content that evolves based on learner interaction data to maintain engagement. Based on the above, the hypothesis is formulated as follows:

H1: The Course content of the Personality Enrichment course has a significant positive effect with Student’s satisfaction on MOOC’s platform.

Course delivery of the Personality Enrichment course

Course delivery refers to the methods and modalities used to present educational content to learners, commonly categorized into face-to-face, online, and blended (hybrid) formats. Recent literature emphasizes that while traditional in-person delivery promotes engagement and immediacy, online modes offer flexibility and accessibility, especially for non-traditional learners (Li et al., 2023). The effectiveness of course delivery depends not only on the mode but also on instructional design, instructor presence, and learner self-regulation (Alammary, 2024). Notably, post-pandemic studies choose blended approaches as the most adaptable and effective, particularly in higher education and clinical training (Wang et al., 2024). Thus, course delivery is most impactful when aligned with learner needs, supported by technology, and designed for interaction and feedback. According to Gurung and Stone (2023), integrating online and face-to-face elements, also known as blended learning has been shown to enhance academic performance, motivation, and collaboration across disciplines. Therefore, course delivery is very important to achieve high student’s satisfaction and improve the student’s performance.

In the context of this study, course delivery significantly influences student satisfaction on MOOC platforms, with key factors including instructional design, interactivity, feedback, and learner support. Research shows that well-structured courses with clear objectives, engaging multimedia content, and timely feedback lead to higher satisfaction levels among MOOC participants (Pilli & Admiraal, 2023). The presence of interactive element such as interactive discussion forums, quizzes, and peer assessment will enhance learner engagement and encourages a sense of community, which directly contributes to perceived satisfaction (Tang et al., 2024). Conversely, poor communication, lack of instructor presence, and limited learner support are associated with decreased satisfaction and increased dropout rates (Zhou, 2024). Overall, the effectiveness of course delivery in promoting student satisfaction depends on the alignment of pedagogical strategies with learners’ needs and expectations. Hence, the hypothesis is proposed:

H2: Course delivery of Personality Enrichment course has significant positively effect with Student’s satisfaction on MOOC’s platform.

Course assessment of Personality Enrichment course

Course assessment refers to the systematic process of evaluating student learning, skills acquisition, and academic achievement through various tools and methods aligned with instructional objectives. It encompasses both formative assessments, which provide ongoing feedback to support learning, and summative assessments, which evaluate learning outcomes at the end of an instructional unit (Black & Wiliam, 2018). According to recent research, effective course assessment is not only a measurement tool but also a key driver of student motivation, engagement, and reflective learning, especially in digital and online learning environments (Nguyen et al., 2023). In the context of MOOCs and other technology-enhanced learning platforms, assessment design must be authentic, scalable, and supportive of learner autonomy while maintaining academic rigor (Chen et al., 2024). Thus, course assessment serves as both a learning enhancement mechanism and a performance indicator within modern educational systems.

Course assessment plays a crucial role in shaping student satisfaction on MOOC platforms, as it directly impacts learners’ perceptions of course quality, engagement, and learning achievement. Recent studies highlight those assessments aligned with learning objectives, offering timely and constructive feedback, significantly enhance satisfaction levels (Pilli & Admiraal, 2023). Conversely, poorly designed assessments, lack of feedback, and unclear grading criteria contribute to frustration and reduced course completion rates. As such, effective assessment strategies in MOOCs are essential not only for evaluating learning outcomes but also for sustaining student engagement and satisfaction throughout the learning experience. Consequently, the hypothesis is articulated as:

H3: Course assessment of Personality Enrichment course has a significant positive effect with Student’s satisfaction on MOOC’s platform.

Underpinning theory

The relationship between course content, course delivery, and course assessment toward student satisfaction on MOOC platforms can be theoretically underpinned by Constructivist Learning Theory. Constructivism postulates that learners construct knowledge through active engagement with content, meaningful interactions, and reflective thinking. This theory supports the idea that well-structured course content, interactive delivery methods, and formative assessments contribute to inherent learning and higher satisfaction. On MOOC platforms, constructivism emphasizes the role of learner autonomy, peer collaboration, and feedback-rich environments in fostering positive learning experiences (Piaget, 1970; Vygotsky, 1978). The structure of content, delivery, and assessment with students’ former knowledge and learning contexts is key to enhancing satisfaction. Therefore, this theory forms the foundation of the proposed conceptual framework, as Figure 1.

Figure 1: Proposed conceptual framework

Proposed research methodology

This study proposes to employ a quantitative research methodology, whereby a survey method will be used to examine the relationship of course content, course delivery, and course assessment towards user satisfaction with the use of the MOOCs platform for the Personality Enrichment course. The unit of analysis in this research is the individual, consisting of students enrolled in the Personality Enrichment course at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). The target population comprises 400 students from the Bachelor of Customer Service Management program, Faculty of Business and Management, UiTM. Referring to the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) sample size table, the appropriate sample size for this population is 196 respondents. Respondents must have experience using the MOOC platform for the Personality Enrichment course. The questionnaire will be distributed using a simple random sampling technique. It will consist of two sections, which are general demographic information such as gender, age, and the MOOC platform used. The second section consists of items designed to measure course content, course delivery, course assessment, and student satisfaction with the MOOC platform. A 5-point Likert scale will be used, with 1 representing “strongly disagree” and 5 representing “strongly agree.” The measurement of the constructs in this study is presented in Table 1.

Table 1: Measurement of the construct of this study

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

This conceptual article examined the interrelationship between course content, course delivery, and course assessment in influencing student satisfaction within the context of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform, specifically focusing on the Personality Enrichment course offered at University Technology MARA (UiTM). Grounded in Constructivist Learning Theory, the proposed conceptual framework highlights the importance of well-structured course content, effective instructional course delivery, and relevant, fair course assessment methods in enhancing the student satisfaction on MOOC platforms. The integration of these instructional components is critical to fostering student engagement and ensuring that the course objectives are met in a flexible, digital learning environment. In addition, high-quality, well-organized content that aligns with learners’ needs and expectations, effective and engaging delivery methods, and fair, transparent assessment practices are consistently linked to higher levels of satisfaction and continued course engagement.

As MOOCs continue to evolve in higher education, future research should empirically validate this conceptual framework using quantitative or mixed-method approaches to examine its predictive power across diverse courses and institutions. In particular, longitudinal studies could provide insights into how satisfaction levels change over time and how they impact learning outcomes and course completion rates. Furthermore, exploring the role of learner characteristics (e.g., digital literacy, motivation) and technological factors (e.g., platform usability, mobile access) may offer a more comprehensive understanding of student satisfaction in MOOCs. These future directions are essential for enhancing the design, delivery, and evaluation of MOOC-based learning, particularly for skill- and character-building courses such as Personality Enrichment.

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