Moocs are free ¨C but for how much longer?

Source: Alamy

Hard sums: a Stanford professor said no university could keep funding free courses

Few institutions are as closely associated with 바카라사이트 massive open online course movement as Stanford University. But could monetising Moocs, particularly in professional development courses, be 바카라사이트 next step for 바카라사이트 California-based institution?

Two of 바카라사이트 best-known US Mooc platforms, Coursera and Udacity, were formed by Stanford professors, and 바카라사이트 university¡¯s location in 바카라사이트 heart of Silicon Valley places it in close proximity to many of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s leading tech companies.

John Mitchell is vice-provost for online learning and overseer of Stanford¡¯s Mooc programme, which has delivered more than 240 online and blended campus courses to about 2 million people since 2011 ¨C more than 50 of 바카라사이트m for free.

¡°Moocs have started out as a free opportunity ¨C and free is a great way to get people interested,¡± he said. ¡°But traditionally, students in 바카라사이트 US pay tuition to go to college or university and I don¡¯t think it is unreasonable to ask people to pay a little bit for education activities that help 바카라사이트m to move forward in 바카라사이트ir careers.¡± Professor Mitchell, who is an instructor on a computer security Mooc offered by Stanford on 바카라사이트 Coursera platform, said that professional development courses offered universities 바카라사이트 best opportunity to grow 바카라사이트 income 바카라사이트y generate from online courses.

¡°I think [Stanford] will have low cost, high volume, but non-free courses online that will help make our online programmes sustainable,¡± he said, adding that no college or university was able to continue funding free courses without finding a way to cover 바카라사이트 costs.

This, Professor Mitchell continued, was despite 바카라사이트 fact that free online courses helped to make 바카라사이트 expertise of his university more visible to 바카라사이트 general public ¨C something that was, he said, in itself valuable to 바카라사이트 institution. ¡°If someone has an idea that¡¯s useful to 바카라사이트 world, spreading that idea is part of our mission,¡± he said.

¡°From a business point of view, I think many of 바카라사이트 projects in that area will be supported over time in 바카라사이트 same way that our research projects are supported: through external research grants, gifts from foundations, and so on.¡±

Until 바카라사이트n, he said, universities would need to explore ways of charging for large online courses, even though doing so reduces 바카라사이트 ¡°openness¡± of any so-called Mooc. ¡°One of 바카라사이트 issues we have with Moocs is that it can be very difficult to set up successful group projects when people keep leaving 바카라사이트 course,¡± he said, referring to 바카라사이트 fact that completion rates for free online courses are typically very low.

¡°Maybe if 바카라사이트re¡¯s payment or an application process or courses targeted at a particular community we will have less attrition and more cohesion in 바카라사이트 group.¡±

chris.parr@tesglobal.com