Dive Summary:
- With Amherst College's rejection of an invitation to join edX, experts like Eduventures Vice President and Principal Analyst Richard Garrett are questioning whether the "honeymoon period" for MOOCs is over.
- In just two years, MOOCs have grown from techie professors' side projects to the hottest ticket in higher education, with colleges clamoring for membership to major providers like edX and Coursera--edX says over 300 institutions have asked about entrance to its 12-institution membership, and Coursera co-founder Daphne Koller says she's lost track of how many schools want in.
- Developing a MOOC can cost an institution a hefty amount of money and time, and Amherst's 70-36 vote against joining edX cited additional philosophical issues such as MOOCs not meshing with the school's commitment to "learning through close colloquy" and the idea that they provide a potentially college-jeopardizing competition that could eventually make the B.A. degree obsolete.
From the article:
... "For a while it really felt like a rocket ship, with folks desperate not to be left behind," says Peter Stokes, executive director of postsecondary innovation at Northeastern University's College of Professional Studies.
"I think that phase has passed, and the folks who are starting to do the work are starting to realize that these efforts ... have real costs for the institution," says Mr. Stokes. "And I think that's creating a little bit more sobriety about how folks view the opportunity." ...