Many publications and surveys refer to the high drop out rate in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that is around 90%, especially if we compare the number of students who register to the number who finish. Working towards improving student engagement in MOOCs, we focus to provide specific research-based recommendations on formative assessment and feedback practices that can advance student activity. In this respect, we analysed some significant research papers on formative assessment and feedback methods applicable to face-to-face teaching environments that advance student engagement, and concluded to related requirements and conditions that can be applied also to MOOCs. We also analysed 4050 comments and reviews of the seven most active and highly rated MOOCs (6 Coursera ones and 1 from EdX) given by the students that have completed or partially completed those courses via CourseTalk (coursetalk.com). Based on this content analysis, we have formulated fourteen recommendations that support also the requirements/conditions from our conceptual and theoretical framework analysis.
The results obtained give some light in a rather unexplored research area, that is the research on formative assessment and feedback practices specifically for stronger engagement in MOOCs.