As massive open online courses (MOOCs) gain publicity and popularity, it’s time to address the legal concerns affecting this trend in higher education, InformationWeek reports. MOOCs attract thousands of curious minds with free access to the world’s brightest professors and the opportunity to explore any subject. Institutions benefit from being able to reach individuals who otherwise wouldn’t have interest in their school, such as international students and full-time employees. Professors who want to expand their audience and experiment with new technology can do so with MOOCs. … While MOOCs have the potential to change higher education, those who wish to implement them have a few issues to confront. Copyright and intellectual property issues are currently of particular concern, Amanda Marie Baer, an attorney at Mirick O’Connell who specializes in higher education, said in an interview. … Ownership issues also affect MOOC participants, who will likely be unable to claim the work they produce. Students in traditional college courses retain ownership of classwork.
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