18 Aug MOOC Online Study Less Massive?

The “college for everyone” concept known as massive open online courses (MOOCs) seems to be evolving. A number of companies offering the populist-driven idea are not giving up. But they are, according to University World News, finding some challenges getting universities to offer college credit for these independently developed courses offered in many cases for free.

Why? Because universities like to really control the content of the offerings they provide. So it appears the MOOC-meisters are retooling and using the architecture they built for the masses and offering it for license to universities to run themselves.

But it’s not the end yet. Pretty much every Ivy school has invested in one of the MOOC companies. And there are other cool developments: my alma mater, the Wharton School, has experimented with a bi-coastal class where a giant screen with a life size live video feed of the professor at the front of the room interacts live with students in his room as well as those on a similar screen showing the other coast. Initial reviews: positive. Innovate!!