Some think a legal MOOC stinks, others believe they are a great investment. I belong to the believers. A MOOC is simply another tool to help transfer legal expertise from the legal expert to the expert-wannebe. It is not a solution for everyone nor for just any legal topic.
If law schools have enough similarities with business schools, they have nothing to fear from MOOCS, on the contrary: law schools will get better and more diversified.
I have recently participated in a few of these legal MOOCS. And my conclusion is some MOOCS are really a great enrichment. Beware some are mediocre or a complete waste of time.
If you are a hammer – you see nails everywhere. So, if you ask me what makes the difference between a good MOOC and a bad MOOC, my answer is instructional design.
Ok, I admit, sometimes just being a very talented lecturer helps. But in essence, serving a large audience requires fundamental understanding of the cognitive and motivational issues at hand.
My suggestion would be, go and try them out (experiential learning!) and make your judgement. It will always be a useful investment. Even if it is a blooper you will see why it is a blooper and not make the same mistake.