AUSTIN — In Texas political circles, massive open online courses — commonly known as MOOCs — have enjoyed a resurgence. Officials have praised the typically free college classes, available to anyone with Internet access, as a crucial component in the future of higher education.

Last month, Greg Abbott, the Republican candidate for governor, called on colleges to offer credit for such courses. Later, after a meeting of the House Higher Education Committee on the topic, State Representative Dan Branch, a Dallas Republican and the panel’s chairman, said he was “more convinced that high-quality online content will improve and ultimately reduce the cost of education.”

In the state’s academic circles, however, such courses are being reimagined, and a focus that was so prevalent two years ago is giving way to other priorities that university leaders believe will be more effective in meeting their goals.

“I think MOOCs have been helpful and an important catalyst, but they have also been a distraction,” said Harrison Keller, the University of Texas at Austin’s vice provost for higher-education policy and research.