MOOCs keep gathering steam. Coursera keeps expanding their operation, and competitors have jumped on the bandwagon. (Here's an article that I wrote about MOOCs last year in the Atlantic.)
There are still many question marks around these free, online university classes. Are kids learning from them? Are they as good as classrooms? Can students' work be properly evaluated? Will businesses accept a MOOC certification, rather than college credits?
The other big question is whether or not they can be profitable. Daphne Koller talked with the NYT about various plans they have to monitize MOOCs. (I chatted with Koller when I wrote that Atlantic piece. Totally smart and interesting, btw.) They might make money through Amazon associate programs or by charging students for the certificate of completion.
In many ways, MOOCs face the same problem as online journalism. How can you make a profit when people expect free products on the Internet?
Apt. 11d 