"MOOCs have done a great deal to capture our attention and curiosity and have fostered considerable positive discussion and debate," said Cathy Sandeen, vice president of education attainment and innovation at ACE. "ACE and InsideTrack are pleased to be able to contribute to the conversation from an evidence-based perspective."

ACE is involved in a number of efforts to help the higher-education community understand more about MOOCs and the ways they are being integrated into programs of traditional institutions. InsideTrack regularly advises institutional leaders on ways to improve student access and success.

"To MOOC or not to MOOC is a question many institutional leaders are asking right now," said Dave Jarrat, Vice President of Marketing at InsideTrack. "Our goal is to support them in making more informed decisions by arming them with insights gathered from peers who have already travelled the MOOC road."

The joint study will involve phone conversations and surveys of senior administrators and faculty members responsible for deploying MOOCs at their respective institutions. A preliminary report is scheduled for release in September, 2013.