{"id":653440,"date":"2013-04-19T13:07:41","date_gmt":"2013-04-19T17:07:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gigaom.com\/?p=632578"},"modified":"2013-04-19T13:07:41","modified_gmt":"2013-04-19T17:07:41","slug":"colleges-rejection-of-edx-highlights-potential-drawbacks-of-massive-online-courses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/653440","title":{"rendered":"College\u2019s rejection of edX highlights potential drawbacks of massive online courses"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the past year, massive open online course (MOOC) providers, like Coursera,<\/a> edX<\/a> and Udacity<\/a>, have been riding high<\/a>. Indeed, as of Coursera\u2019s first birthday<\/a>, which is today, the startup says more than 3 million students have enrolled in a course and 62 top universities from around the world have signed on as partners. The MIT and Harvard-backed edX and Udacity have also been growing steadily, announcing high-profile new partnerships<\/a> and expanded programs for for-credit online classes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But this week, elite liberal arts college Amherst snubbed edX <\/a>after months of courtship, highlighting concerns about how MOOCs could change higher education over the long term. The faculty wasn\u2019t opposed to online education in general but approved a proposal for plotting its own path as opposed to joining edX, according to Inside Higher Ed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A few of the faculty\u2019s concerns were Amherst-specific, the news outlet said. For example, some wondered if MOOCs, which by nature include tens of thousands of students, are inherently at odds with the college\u2019s mission of encouraging education through small residential communities. \u00a0And others wondered how edX certificates bearing Amherst\u2019s name would ultimately affect the school’s brand.<\/p>\n

But others had larger doubts about the future impact of MOOCs on higher education.\u00a0 Citing an internal report on edX, Inside Higher Ed said the school worried MOOCs could:<\/p>\n