Got MOOC?: Labor Costs for the Development and Delivery of an Open Online Course

Media reports concerning massive open online courses MOOCs have vacillated between talk of an educational revolution and disillusionment with an over-hyped instructional technology. This paper reports how a group of university faculty and staff designed and delivered a MOOC to more than 800 students. The delivery of the MOOC was a labor-intensive, costly process that resulted in a variety of educational and institutional outcomes. The case report contains lessons for other groups who may have an interest in delivering a MOOC. The paper concludes with an interpretation of the significance of MOOCs for higher education.

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