What to Do About MOOCs? Beyond the Fear of Missing Out

Abstract

This paper reports the experiences and insights from those leading discussions around the development of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) at Dublin City University (DCU). In offering an insider’s perspective the paper shares some of the drivers and deliberations that have taken place at DCU in developing a strategic response to the challenges and opportunities presented by the MOOC movement. A description of the key drivers, strategic deliberations and major decision points at DCU is provided along with a brief outline of several MOOC options. In reflecting on DCU’s experience, the paper describes the value of a decision matrix and concludes with a number of guiding questions framing strategic decisions about the adoption of MOOCs.