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Thursday, July 18, 2013

The Educated Reporter: Follow-Up Friday: A Step Back for MOOCs in California

The Educated Reporter: Follow-Up Friday: A Step Back for MOOCs in California:

Follow-Up Friday: A Step Back for MOOCs in California



There's been no shortage of buzz of the past year or so predicting the escalating impact of MOOCs -- massive open online courses -- on the delivery of higher education. That's why the news out of San Jose State University this week is worth noting.

As Inside Higher Ed reported, the partnership between the university and Udacity, an online provider of higher education courses, has been put on hold after just six months due to disappointing performance by students enrolled in the pilot initiative.

Preston Rudy, vice president of the San Jose State chapter of the California Faculty Association, told Inside Higher Ed that “It’s wise to reevaluate and pursue something based on the evidence rather than the advertisement." 
As I wrote back in August, venture capitalists are gambling heavily on new education technologies, including MOOCs. But there's a difference between hype and