MOOCs have not failed, Udacity is pivoting for no reason(medium.com)
medium.com
MOOCs have not failed, Udacity is pivoting for no reason
https://medium.com/p/e4ea3fcc3325
2 comments
I can see all kinds of reasons for Udacity to pivot. First, they have to earn money somehow at some point, and that will require some pivoting; Second, their current offering seemed a bit sub-par (IMHO - style over substance, fun videos but in the end skirting the hard/important things I wanted from the course) when compared to, say, Coursera. And changing that doesn't need 'more quality', they already can do quality stuff, but it needs a clearer direction on who and why the course is intended serve - ergo, the pivot.
The combination of the style of Udacity and content of coursera would be an ideal combination. The idea of having tutors help through the tough material on the subjects as a source of revenue is great.
We should be celebrating the number of people who pass these courses and always remember that the people who choose MOOCs are likely to be adults with commitments and busy unpredictable lives. Sometimes circumstances overwhelm them and they cannot complete a course. But with a MOOC, if at first you don't succeed you can try, try again until you manage to get through.