Early Exploration of MOOCs in the U.S. Higher Education : An Absorptive Capacity Perspective

Advanced information technologies have enabled Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which have the potential to transform higher education around the world. Why are some institutions eager to embrace this technology-enabled model of teaching, while others remain reluctant to jump aboard? Applying the theory of absorptive capacity, we study the role of a university’s educational IT capabilities in becoming an early MOOC producer. Examining the history of MOOC offerings by U.S. colleges and universities, we find that prior IT capabilities, such as 1) the use of Web 2.0, social media and other interactive tools for teaching, and 2) experience with distance education and hybrid teaching, are positively associated with the early exploration of MOOCs. Interestingly, we also find that the effect of educational IT capabilities is moderated by social integration mechanisms and activation triggers. For example, when instructional IT supporting services are highly decentralized, educational IT capabilities have a greater impact on the probability of a university offering a MOOC. In addition, for colleges facing an adverse environment, such as those experience a decline in college applications, the effect of IT capabilities on the exploration of MOOCs is much stronger