Much Ado About MOOCs: Where Are We in the Evolution of Online Courses?
A lot has changed since 2012 or, the year the New York Times dubbed the “Year of the MOOC.” The premise back then was that classes would make high-quality online education accessible for all—and for free. Today, many MOOC providers now charge a fee. They’ve rolled out bundles of courses called ‘Specializations’ or ‘Nanodegrees.’ And popular providers like Coursera and edX are increasingly partnering with colleges and universities to offer MOOC-based degrees online.
So, seven years after the “Year of the MOOC,” we’re wondering: Where are these courses and companies today? And how are universities responding?
