Well, it's a reasonable theory, the idea that you could examine the emotions expressed by people toward an open online course at the start of the course as a way to determine whether they will be one of those who succeeds in the course of one of those who drops out. There is a precedent for this sort of research, but directed toward social construction of knowledge, not social engagement as is being considered here. The MOOC is perfect for this sort of study; after all, some people participate a lot, some people lurk, and some people just disappear. So is there a connection? It turns out - in this study at least - not so much. "Our team was surprised not to find any significant indicators of participation in the emotive vocabulary of participants."
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