From: Kevin Smith <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:20:48 +0000

For the sake of clarity, there is no obligation to use only open
access materials in a Coursera MOOC, just an expectation that
participants will not have to pay anything to participate.  Because
the intent is for the course to be "massively" open, faculty are
strongly discouraged from erecting any financial hurdle for
participation.  But some faculty for courses offered or soon to be
offered from Duke have, with support from the Library, negotiated for
access to materials for the students.  Occasionally licensing fees
have been paid for such access, but more often the publisher permits
access to some portion of a text because they recognize that having
the book recommended by an expert to such a large audience, who all
share a self-identified interest in the topic, will lead to more sales
of the full volume.  And several publishers have entered into formal
agreements with Coursera to provide free online access to textbooks,
often with some technological limits, for MOOC students, presumably
for the same reason.  But, as I say, this is not strictly OA; the
works or excerpts are freely available only to students registered for
a particular MOOC, and in nearly all cases that access is specifically
negotiated between the institution or Coursera and the publisher.

Kevin L. Smith, M.L.S., J.D.
Director, Copyright and Scholarly Communication
Duke University, Perkins Library
Durham, NC  27708
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-----Original Message-----
From: Jim O'Donnell <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2013 10:24:38 -0500

A MOOC-offered course in microeconomics offered through Coursera by
UCIrvine blew up over the weekend, with the lead faculty member
leaving in mid-course.  Many issues, but the CHE article:

(http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/professor-leaves-a-mooc-in-mid-course-in-dispute-over
teaching/42381)

has this interesting report:

"The professor apparently had faced criticism from students who
objected to his decision to assign a textbook that was not available
free."

Jim O'Donnell