Crowdsourcing in Educational Contexts: Growth Dynamics and Scientific Perspectives

PDF (976KB), PP.201-215

Views: 0 Downloads: 0

Author(s)

Kamal Bouachri 1,* Najib Zerrad 1 Lhoussaine Alla 1

1. Laboratory of research and studies in management, Entrepreneurship and finance, National School of Commerce and Management, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco

* Corresponding author.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2026.04.12

Received: 12 Jul. 2025 / Revised: 13 Jan. 2026 / Accepted: 22 Feb. 2026 / Published: 8 Aug. 2026

Index Terms

Educational Establishment, Crowdsourcing, Education, Bibliometric Review, Open Innovation, Vosviewer

Abstract

Crowdsourcing is a distinct innovation strategy that invites contributions from external actors and represents a key form of collaborative innovation. It plays a vital role in enhancing the visibility of educational institutions and supporting territorial development. Drawing on a bibliometric analysis of publications indexed in the SCOPUS database, this study seeks to examine the extent to which crowdsourcing has been adopted within educational establishments. Covering a variety of dimensions over a broad period from 1999 to 2023. This analysis provides an overview of the current state of the crowdsourcing field in relation to education. Using an extensive database, a combination of keywords and inclusion/exclusion criteria, we extracted 305 distinct articles. ScientoPy and VOSviewer were employed to explore and analyze the data raised. After a dip in 2016, a recovery in the volume of literature relating to crowdsourcing and education in educational institutions began to emerge in 2020. These results indicate the particular interest shown in the subject of open innovations in public and private institutions. The crowdsourcing theme was ranked in the top ten, with 28 publications before 2022 and a proportion of 20% between 2022 and 2023. Crowdsourcing in the academic context has been growing in recent years. However, the studies carried out in this area remain insufficient, particularly bibliometric studies analyzing crowdsourcing in educational establishments and learning in general. Practitioners and academics can take advantage of different research models in open innovation, crowdsourcing and education. Ultimately, this work aims to guide researchers and practitioners by mapping the current dynamics and major trends shaping this field. 

Cite This Paper

Kamal Bouachri, Najib Zerrad, Lhoussaine Alla, "Crowdsourcing in Educational Contexts: Growth Dynamics and Scientific Perspectives", International Journal of Modern Education and Computer Science(IJMECS), Vol.18, No.4, pp. 201-215, 2026. DOI:10.5815/ijmecs.2026.04.12

Reference

[1]A. Sivula and J. Kantola, Adapting Crowdsourcing in Innovation Management, International Journal of Innovation and Learning, vol. 19, no. 3, p. 314, 2016. DOI: 10.1504/IJIL.2016.075657
[2]D. C. Brabham, Crowdsourcing as a Model for Problem Solving: An Introduction and Cases, Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 75–90, February 2008. DOI: 10.1177/1354856507084420
[3]J. Schumpeter, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2008. ISBN 9780061561610
[4]P. Trott, Innovation Management and New Product Development, 4th ed., Pearson Education Limited, 2008.
[5]J. Tidd and J. Bessant, Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change, 5th ed., John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 2013. ISBN: 978-1-118-53859-3 
[6]J. Howe, The Rise of Crowdsourcing, Wired Magazine, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 1–4, 2006. Available: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.06/crowds.html. Accessed: 24 September 2024
[7]Dell, About IdeaStorm [Online]. Available: http://www.ideastorm.com/idea2AboutIdeaStorm?v=1351322692099. Accessed: 24 September 2024.
[8]B. Y. Clark, N. Zingale, J. Logan, and J. Brudney, A Framework for Using Crowdsourcing in Government, International Journal of Public Administration in the Digital Age, vol. 3, no. 4, October–December, 2016. DOI: 10.4018/IJPADA.2016100105
[9]F. J. Garrigos-Simon, J. L. Galdon, and S. Sanz-Blas, Effects of Crowdvoting on Hotels: The Booking.com Case, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 419–437, January 2017. DOI: 10.1108/IJCHM-08-2015-0435
[10]E. M. Raineri and L. S. E. Reno, A Study of Crowdsourcing in Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Education, Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, vol. 22, no. 5, pp. 115–131, 2022. DOI: 10.33423/jhetp.v22i5.5206
[11]F. J. Garrigos-Simon and Y. Narangajavana-Kaosiri, Management of Crowdsourcing in Language Teaching and Learning: The State-of-the-Art and Future Directions, Language Teaching Research Quarterly, vol. 38, pp. 128–151, 2023. DOI: 10.32038/ltrq.2023.38.07
[12]R. Llorente and M. Morant, Crowdsourcing in Higher Education, in Advances in Crowdsourcing, F. J. Garrigos-Simon, I. Gil-Pechuán, and S. Estelles-Miguel, Eds., Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2015, pp. 87–95. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-18341-1_7 
[13]B. A. Malik, A. Aftab, and N. A. P.M., Mapping of Crowdsourcing Research: A Bibliometric Analysis, DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 23–30, January 2019. DOI: 10.14429/djlit.39.1.13630
[14]R. Lenart-Gansiniec, W. Czakon, Ł. Sułkowski, and J. Pocek, Understanding Crowdsourcing in Science, Review of Managerial Science, vol. 17, no. 8, pp. 2797–2830, 2022. DOI: 10.1007/s11846-022-00602-z
[15]J. Zhang, Knowledge Learning with Crowdsourcing: A Brief Review and Systematic Perspective, IEEE/CAA J. Autom. Sinica, vol. 9, no. 5, pp. 749–762, May 2022. DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2206.09315.
[16]P. A. Erazo Muñoz and M. I. Riaño Casallas, Relationship Between Happiness at Work and Job Performance: A Bibliometric Analysis, Evolution and Trends, Revista Virtual Universidad Católica Del Norte, no. 64, pp. 241–280, 2021. DOI: 10.35575/rvucn.n64a10
[17]D. Tranfield, D. Denyer, and P. Smart, Towards a Methodology for Developing Evidence-Informed Management Knowledge by Means of Systematic Review, British Journal of Management, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 207–222, September 2003. DOI: 10.1111/1467-8551.00375 
[18]J. M. Merigó and J. Yang, Accounting Research: A Bibliometric Analysis, Australian Accounting Review, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 71–100, March 2017. DOI: 10.1111/auar.12109
[19]J. M. Merigó, A. M. Gil-Lafuente, and R. R. Yager, An Overview of Fuzzy Research with Bibliometric Indicators, Applied Soft Computing, vol. 27, pp. 420–433, February 2015. DOI: 10.1016/j.asoc.2014.10.035 
[20]F. N. R. Mohd Sofian, K. H. Abdullah, and I. MohdSabrun, Research on Corporate Reputation: A Bibliometric Review of 43 Years (1977–2020), International Journal of Information Science and Management, vol. 21, no. 2, April 2023. DOI: 10.22034/ijism.2023.1977558.0
[21]A. Agarwal et al., Bibliometrics: Tracking Research Impact by Selecting the Appropriate Metrics, Asian Journal of Andrology, vol. 18, no. 2, p. 296, 2016. DOI: 10.4103/1008-682X.171582
[22]B. Fahimnia, J. Sarkis, and H. Davarzani, Green Supply Chain Management: A Review and Bibliometric Analysis, International Journal of Production Economics, vol. 162, pp. 101–114, April 2015. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpe.2015.01.003
[23]H. Arksey and L. O’Malley, Scoping Studies: Towards a Methodological Framework, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 19–32, February 2005. DOI: 10.1080/1364557032000119616
[24]M. Tullu, Writing the Title and Abstract for a Research Paper: Being Concise, Precise, and Meticulous Is the Key, Saudi Journal of Anaesthesia, vol. 13, no. 5, p. 12, 2019. DOI: 10.4103/sja.SJA_685_18
[25]N. J. Van Eck and L. Waltman, Software Survey: VOSviewer, a Computer Program for Bibliometric Mapping, Scientometrics, vol. 84, no. 2, pp. 523–538, 2009. DOI: 10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3
[26]M. M. Kessler, Bibliographic Coupling Between Scientific Papers, American Documentation, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 10–25, January 1963. DOI: 10.1002/asi.5090140103
[27]H. Small, Co‐Citation in the Scientific Literature: A New Measure of the Relationship Between Two Documents, Journal of the American Society for Information Science, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 265–269, July 1973. DOI: 10.1002/asi.4630240406
[28]N. Donthu, S. Kumar, D. Mukherjee, N. Pandey, and W. M. Lim, How to Conduct a Bibliometric Analysis: An Overview and Guidelines, Journal of Business Research, vol. 133, pp. 285–296, September 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
[29]M. K. Poetz and M. Schreier, The Value of Crowdsourcing: Can Users Really Compete with Professionals in Generating New Product Ideas?, Journal of Product Innovation Management, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 245–256, March 2012. DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-5885.2011.00893.x
[30]E. Boimabeau, Decisions 2.0: The Power of Collective Intelligence, MIT Sloan Management Review, vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 45–52, 2009. 
[31]P. Dillenbourg, The Evolution of Research on Digital Education, International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 544–560, June 2016. DOI: 10.1007/s40593-016-0106-z
[32]K. Laursen and A. Salter, Open for Innovation: The Role of Openness in Explaining Innovation Performance Among U.K. Manufacturing Firms, Strategic Management Journal, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 131–150, February 2006. DOI: 10.1002/smj.507
[33][33] M. Perkmann and K. Walsh, University–Industry Relationships and Open Innovation: Towards a Research Agenda, International Journal of Management Reviews, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 259–280, December 2007. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2370.2007.00225.x
[34]H. W. Chesbrough, Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from Technology, Harvard Business Press, 2003. 7(4):325-326 DOI: 10.1108/14601060410565074
[35]W. M. Cohen and D. A. Levinthal, Absorptive Capacity: A New Perspective on Learning and Innovation, Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 35, no. 1, p. 128, March 1990. DOI: 10.2307/2393553
[36]W. M. Cohen, R. R. Nelson, and J. P. Walsh, Links and Impacts: The Influence of Public Research on Industrial R&D, Management Science, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 1–23, January 2002. DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.48.1.1.14273
[37]I. N. Ainoutdinova and A. Blagoveshchenskaya, Crowdsourcing as an Effective Technology for Teaching Foreign Languages at Russian Universities, Procédures EDULEARN17, pp1905-1913, 2017. DOI: 10.21125/edulearn.2017.1401
[38]I. García-Martínez, P. Tadeu, M. Montenegro-Rueda, and J. M. Fernández-Batanero, Networking for Online Teacher Collaboration, Interactive Learning Environments, vol. 30, no. 9, pp. 1736–1750, 2020. DOI: 10.1080/10494820.2020.1764057
[39]C. Hilli, Extending Classrooms Through Teacher Collaboration in Virtual Learning Environments, Educational Action Research, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 700–715, August 2020. DOI: 10.1080/09650792.2019.1654901
[40]J. Van Bommel, A.-C. Randahl, Y. Liljekvist, and K. Ruthven, Tracing Teachers’ Transformation of Knowledge in Social Media, Teaching and Teacher Education, vol. 87, p. 102958, January 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2019.102958
[41]J. P. Carpenter, S. N. Kerkhoff, and X. Wang, Teachers Using Technology for Co-Teaching and Crowdsourcing: The Case of Global Read Aloud Collaboration, Teaching and Teacher Education, vol. 114, p. 103719, June 2022. DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2022.103719
[42]P. D. Antonenko, B. R. Lee, and A. J. Kleinheksel, Trends in the Crowdfunding of Educational Technology Startups, TechTrends, vol. 58, no. 6, pp. 36–41, November 2014. DOI: 10.1007/s11528-014-0801-2
[43]S. Pokrivcakova, Preparing Teachers for the Application of AI-Powered Technologies in Foreign Language Education, Journal of Language and Cultural Education, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 135–153, December 2019. DOI: 10.2478/jolace-2019-0025
[44]K. Bouachri and N. Zerrad, Bibliometric Study of Approaches to Studying Collective Intelligence for Sustainable Territorial Innovation, Multidisciplinary Reviews, vol. 8, no. 5, p. 2025158, December 2024. DOI: 10.31893/multirev.2025158
[45]H. Rong, V. S. Sheng, T. Ma, Y. Zhou, and M. Al-Rodhaan, A Self-Play and Sentiment-Emphasized Comment Integration Framework Based on Deep Q-Learning in a Crowdsourcing Scenario, IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 1021–1037, 2020. DOI: 10.1109/TKDE.2020.2993272
[46]H. S. Alenezi and M. H. Faisal, Utilizing Crowdsourcing and Machine Learning in Education: Literature Review, Education and Information Technologies, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 2971–2986, July 2020. DOI: 10.1007/s10639-020-10102-w
[47]A. Datnow, Collaboration and Contrived Collegiality: Revisiting Hargreaves in the Age of Accountability, Journal of Educational Change, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 147–158, May 2011. DOI: 10.1007/s10833-011-9154-1
[48]J. A. Meirink, J. Imants, P. C. Meijer, and N. Verloop, Teacher Learning and Collaboration in Innovative Teams, Cambridge Journal of Education, vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 161–181, June 2010. DOI: 10.1080/0305764X.2010.481256
[49]R. Gómez-Prado et al., Crowdsourcing and Crowdfunding in Higher Education in Peru, in Crowdfunding in Higher Education Institutions: Theory and Best Practices, Springer, 2023, pp. 159–180. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-30069-1_10
[50]S. Abdi, H. Khosravi, and S. Sadiq, Modelling Learners in Crowdsourcing Educational Systems, in Artificial Intelligence in Education, I. I. Bittencourt, M. Cukurova, K. Muldner, R. Luckin, and E. Millán, Eds., Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 12164, Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2020, pp. 3–9. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-52240-7_1
[51]E. Donlon, E. Costello, and M. Brown, Collaboration, Collation, and Competition: Crowdsourcing a Directory of Educational Technology Tools for Teaching and Learning, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, pp. 41–55, April 2020. DOI: 10.14742/ajet.5712
[52]E. K. R. E. Huizingh, Open Innovation: State of the Art and Future Perspectives, Technovation, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 2–9, January 2011. DOI: 10.1016/j.technovation.2010.10.002
[53]K. A. Blackwell, M. J. Travis, M. R. Arbuckle, and D. A. Ross, Crowdsourcing Medical Education, Medical Education, vol. 50, no. 5, p. 576, 2016. DOI: 10.1111/medu.13010
[54]J. C. Dunlap and P. R. Lowenthal, Online Educators’ Recommendations for Teaching Online: Crowdsourcing in Action, Open Praxis, vol. 10, no. 1, p. 79, January 2018. DOI: 10.5944/openpraxis.10.1.721
[55]E. Estellés-Arolas, R. Navarro-Giner, and F. González-Ladrón-de-Guevara, Crowdsourcing Fundamentals: Definition and Typology, in Advances in Crowdsourcing, F. J. Garrigos-Simon, I. Gil-Pechuán, and S. Estelles-Miguel, Eds., Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2015, pp. 33–48. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-18341-1_3
[56]M. S. Ramírez-Montoya, I. M. Castillo-Martínez, J. Sanabria-Z, and J. Miranda, Complex Thinking in the Framework of Education 4.0 and Open Innovation—A Systematic Literature Review, Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, vol. 8, no. 1, p. 4, March 2022. DOI: 10.3390/joitmc8010004
[57]E. J. Malecki, Connecting Local Entrepreneurial Ecosystems to Global Innovation Networks: Open Innovation, Double Networks and Knowledge Integration, International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, vol. 14, no. 1, p. 36, 2011. DOI: 10.1504/IJEIM.2011.040821
[58]D. C. Brabham, Crowdsourcing, The MIT Press, 176pp, 2013. ISBN 9780262518475
[59]B. Shao, L. Shi, B. Xu, and L. Liu, Factors Affecting Participation of Solvers in Crowdsourcing: An Empirical Study from China, Electronic Markets, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 73–82, June 2012. DOI: 10.1007/s12525-012-0093-3
[60]P. Van Hemert, P. Nijkamp, and E. Masurel, From Innovation to Commercialization Through Networks and Agglomerations: Analysis of Sources of Innovation, Innovation Capabilities and Performance of Dutch SMEs, Annals of Regional Science, vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 425–452, April 2013. DOI: 10.1007/s00168-012-0509-1
[61]X. Xie and H. Wang, How Can Open Innovation Ecosystem Modes Push Product Innovation Forward? An fsQCA Analysis, Journal of Business Research, vol. 108, pp. 29–41, January 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.10.011
[62]B. Williamson, Silicon Startup Schools: Technocracy, Algorithmic Imaginaries and Venture Philanthropy in Corporate Education Reform, Critical Studies in Education, vol. 59, no. 2, pp. 218–236, May 2018. DOI: 10.1080/17508487.2016.1186710
[63]N. Komninos, M. Pallot, and H. Schaffers, Special Issue on Smart Cities and the Future Internet in Europe, Journal of the Knowledge Economy, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 119–134, June 2013. DOI: 10.1007/s13132-012-0083-x