An account is given of the construction and management of a massive open online course (MOOC) on pattern-oriented software architecture for concurrent and network software. Many useful insights are provided, only two of which are discussed here.

Considerable effort was needed in both the construction and management of the MOOC. The investigators describe their experience as exhausting. Two months of filming were required to produce some 20 hours of video material. Creating quizzes and rubrics for peer-graded assignments is described as having taken a considerable amount of time. Over 40 hours per week were spent answering questions in online discussion forums. In section 4.2.2, the investigators suggest that in the absence of a clear return on investment (ROI), an individual institution such as their own might find it difficult to continue to offer MOOCs.

Initial enrollment was some 31,000 students, but only around 1,600 students received some statement of accomplishment. It should be noted that a statement of accomplishment conferred no actual course credit. Distinction track completions, which recognized work done on programming assignments, actually numbered less than 600. In section 4.2.3, the investigators recognize the problem with plagiarism in MOOCs. Unfortunately the MOOC platform used had not yet been equipped with automatic plagiarism detection tools. The solution to plagiarism that they adopted is recognized by the investigators themselves as limited. The number of genuine distinction track completions could be much fewer in number.

This paper is very strongly recommended to those thinking of constructing, managing, or otherwise using a MOOC.