Providing MOOCs: A FUN way to enroll students?

Abstract

This paper aims at assessing whether universities improve their enrollment in traditional taught in-person programs by providing MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). Focusing on French universities, we look at the impact on enrollment figures of providing MOOC on France Université Numérique (FUN), a MOOC platform. We find that new students intake of universities offering MOOCs rises over 2% the following academic year, all else being equal. Analyzing data related to the characteristics of students enrolled in online and traditional programs as well to media coverage, we see two intertwined explanations for this positive relationship. One relates to the enhanced information available to students when making their enrollment decision; the other lies in the attention-grabbing - and likely persuasive - character of the event created around MOOCs.