- Some institutions, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University are investing heavily in online education right now, hoping that they will be ahead of the curve as higher ed changes.
- Certificate fees are currently the only clear revenue stream that such programs have committed to.
- Other possible services for sale could include job placement and library resource outsourcing.
Massively open online courses, or MOOCs, do not currently lead to any widely recognized credential. Still, with more than 1.5 million people having registered for MOOCs through Coursera, Udacity and edX, the demand for the novel online offerings is undeniable.
But while demand appears to be high, none of these three organizations -- two of which are for-profit companies that will be expected to generate money for investors and the other of which is a nonprofit that will be expected to stand on its own feet eventually -- currently has a business plan. ...