Dive Brief:
- A new study estimates that the total costs of offering a massive open online course range from nearly $40,000 to $325,000, eCampus News reports.
- The cost varies based on the number of personnel involved in development and delivery, the quality of the video, the delivery platform, programming for course features, and other elements, according to eCampus News.
- Those interviewed for the study said MOOCs require two to three times greater effort than a traditional course and only a handful considered cost reduction an objective for future MOOCs.
Dive Insight:
MOOCs have swept through higher ed, giving institutions the opportunity to reach audiences worldwide and offer their content at no charge. Just because they’re offered for free, however, doesn’t mean they were free to produce. The authors of the study profiled by eCampus News are among the few who have looked into the aggregate costs of producing MOOCs, and their findings should give colleges and universities pause before deciding their next moves. Some institutions may find that the opportunities and benefits of offering MOOCs outweigh the costs. Tight budgets, though, could change that for institutions deciding where to cut.