A Systematic Review of Studies on Small Private Online Courses (SPOC)

Javdani, M.; Rasti, F.; Keshavarzi, F.

doi:10.22061/tej.2026.11973.3216

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

¹ Department of Educational Sciences, Farhangian University, P.O. Box 14665-889, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Educational Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

10.22061/tej.2026.11973.3216

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Today, information and communication technology, especially cyberspace, plays a special role in the transformation of the education system. Given the limitations of access to technological facilities in some schools and the need to create appropriate infrastructure, teachers must update their teaching methods using modern technology. New technologies such as massive open online courses (MOOCs) and small private online courses (SPOCs) have transformed the nature of education. MOOCs, with free access, unlimited capacity, and automated content, provide public education to millions of people, but teacher-student interaction is limited. In contrast, SPOCs are designed for small groups (ten people) with a focus on quality, interaction, and personalization. These courses are especially effective in professional education by combining online and face-to-face learning (such as a flipped classroom), direct feedback from teachers, and adapting content to the specific needs of organizations or educational communities. Therefore, this study examined the challenges and opportunities of SPOCs through a systematic review as a method for evaluating the existing evidence on SPOCs.
Methods: The study was applied in terms of purpose and qualitative in terms of approach and was conducted as a systematic review using the PRISMA guidelines and the seven-step meta-synthesis method of Sandelowski & Barroso. The studies studied were selected through purposive sampling from reputable foreign databases between 2013 and 2023. In the aforementioned databases, the keywords of online courses, Spoke, and small private online courses were examined, and in the initial search, 504 articles were identified. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 20 articles were identified as eligible and entered into the coding and thematic analysis process according to Brown and Clark (2006).
Findings: Open coding was performed on the data obtained from these studies in the initial stages, and 130 initial codes were identified and extracted using the initial study and categorized. The process of continuous comparison of the initial codes based on similarities led to the extraction of 4 main themes and 18 sub-themes related to SPOK. The main themes are: SPOK definitions and concepts, SPOK components, SPOK opportunities and SPOK challenges. The definitions include 4 categories: combined, comparative, participatory and conceptual definition. SPOK components also include goal, milestones, practice, evaluation, support and interaction. Opportunities and challenges were also identified from the perspective of students, instructors, experts and higher education institutions.
Conclusion: The results of the studies show that the use of spokes can increase learning motivation, improve student satisfaction, and improve learning outcomes, and have been successful in developing computational skills and combating academic fraud; and if spoke courses are used in a different way in terms of content, they can be successful. The challenges ahead include the need for information technology skills, lack of access to reliable Internet, and time constraints. Also, in some cases, lack of sufficient social interaction may lead to a decrease in the sense of belonging and connection among the students. The results also indicate that spokes should be used in educational environments that require high flexibility and personalization. Also, in relation to the students' perspective, the results imply that students should become autonomous learners and show motivation and activism in the course.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Electronic learning- virtual

COPYRIGHTS
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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Technology of Education Journal (TEJ)

A Systematic Review of Studies on Small Private Online Courses (SPOC)

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Volume 19, Issue 3 - Serial Number 75
July 2025
Pages 745-759

A Systematic Review of Studies on Small Private Online Courses (SPOC)

References

References

Send comment about this article

Volume 19, Issue 3 - Serial Number 75July 2025Pages 745-759

Volume 19, Issue 3 - Serial Number 75
July 2025
Pages 745-759