The MOOCs are Coming! Revolution or Fad in the Business School?

The massive open online course (MOOC) phenomenon has been the subject of extraordinary hype over the last 12 months. This paper represents the first academic study of student satisfaction with a MOOC—this one experienced as part of an information systems class in an MBA program. We developed a causal model based on the literature was and measured 1) student satisfaction with the learning experience and 2) students’ desire to take more courses this way. Using structural equation modeling, the analysis indicated that content in terms of quality and course materials, along with the opportunity for college credit, were the dominant factors in satisfaction, which, in turn, influenced the desire for more courses. The paper ends with a call for action by university administrators to proactively manage this new technology rather than adopt a “wait and see” attitude