Exploring the Factors Influencing Institutional Adoption and Successful Implementation of Paid MOOC Platforms: Perspectives from a Case-Study at an Institution in a Tier-2 City in India

MooC platforms aggregating world-class content delivered by global experts have revolutionized self-learning for learners of all age groups across diverse domains. The micro-credentials offered by these platforms are rapidly gaining recognition and acceptance by industry. Institutions across the world have thus had to formally adopt these platforms and also recognize the credits earned on these platforms. However, many of the paid platforms remain outside the purview of the vast majority of institutions and students. This research paper examines the early results from the implementation of a paid globally recognized MooC platform at a higher educational institution in a tier-2 city in India. The results focus on determining factors which influence institutional leadership in adopting paid MooC platforms. Student perceptions are also determined based on prolonged usage of the platform. Finally, the paper provides a MooC platform implementation blueprint for administrators of tier-2/3 institutions for ensuring seamless adoption and deriving benefits including enhanced student perception on institutional support and significant improvement in brand strengthening.