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What about private institutions? Are they not subject to the same constraints? https://priceonomics.com/static/images/college-one/Yearly_Tuition_Resize.png htt

What about private institutions? Are they not subject to the same constraints? https://priceonomics.com/static/images/college-one/Yearly_Tuition_Resize.png https://priceonomics.com/static/images/college-one/Yearly_Tu... Also, if these institutions are interested in "maximizing value" then they should be perusing modified MOOCs (online course + office hours and on-site testing). They are not.

stinkytaco 10y ago
> What about private institutions? Are they not subject to the same constraints? They are not, but they offer a very different set of problems. In that situation buildings are not the issue, but inflated tuition before loans. I appreciated the government coming down on for profit institutions and would definitely like to see more scrutiny of private colleges in regards to loans. >Also, if these institutions are interested in "maximizing value" then they should be perusing modified MOOCs (online course + office hours and on-site testing). They are not. That's just not true. Plenty of institutions are exploring these or using them, either to reach students that are not local or to teach local students. My dad works at a state university system and they are aggressively pursuing MOOCs, but there has been a great deal of push back from students and placement partners (businesses who the colleges partner with for placement of trade students). The other issue that comes up with MOOCs -- at least where I am -- is that students who might go to a local community college or small university are going to larger institutions in state because they can take courses online. That leads to a great deal of political hostility towards the large institutions.
- velodrome 10y ago
  > That's just not true. Plenty of institutions are exploring these or using them, either to reach students that are not local or to teach local students. In California, they kinda bricked the online courses (at the time). You would get no credit for the course if it was within your major. The material was also somewhat simplified. Also, the fact that you took an online course was looked down upon. > My dad works at a state university system and they are aggressively pursuing MOOCs, but there has been a great deal of push back from students and placement partners (businesses who the colleges partner with for placement of trade students). That sounds like great news. Your right, it seems to boil down to politics. Professors, by and large, are freaking out about a new proposed law to mandate accepting online course credit. “There is no possibility that University of California faculty will shirk its responsibility to our students by ceding authority over courses to any outside agency,” wrote the faculty senate in a strongly worded letter. https://techcrunch.com/2013/04/03/a-few-crazy-college-fees-that-are-driving-education-online/ https://techcrunch.com/2013/04/03/a-few-crazy-college-fees-t...
  - stinkytaco 10y ago
    > That sounds like great news. Your right, it seems to boil down to politics. I think the problem here in Minnesota is not the professors, but the students, who don't want to take an online course, especially since it does not seem to lead to a reduction in tuition. Several faculty had already integrated MOOCs into their curriculum (staff cuts may have forced their hand), but your customer have to want it. Placement partners also felt they were not necessarily preparing students to the agreed upon level.
    - velodrome 10y ago
      The approach to MOOCs should be done differently: 1) The courses should be VIGOROUS and SELF-PACED (no quarter, semester). 2) Billed on a monthly subscription. Students are short-sighted: 1) They can load up on more classes concurrently. 2) Spend more time on hard courses and breeze through on easy ones. 3) Have access to more courses and not be constrained by univ. budget or professor availability. Basically, the students get more for their money in the near term. At some point, the tuition will flatten out and potentially increase access to those who could not previously afford to attend.

stinkytaco 10y ago

> What about private institutions? Are they not subject to the same constraints? They are not, but they offer a very different set of problems. In that situation buildings are not the issue, but inflated tuition before loans. I appreciated the government coming down on for profit institutions and would definitely like to see more scrutiny of private colleges in regards to loans. >Also, if these institutions are interested in "maximizing value" then they should be perusing modified MOOCs (online course + office hours and on-site testing). They are not. That's just not true. Plenty of institutions are exploring these or using them, either to reach students that are not local or to teach local students. My dad works at a state university system and they are aggressively pursuing MOOCs, but there has been a great deal of push back from students and placement partners (businesses who the colleges partner with for placement of trade students). The other issue that comes up with MOOCs -- at least where I am -- is that students who might go to a local community college or small university are going to larger institutions in state because they can take courses online. That leads to a great deal of political hostility towards the large institutions.

velodrome 10y ago
> That's just not true. Plenty of institutions are exploring these or using them, either to reach students that are not local or to teach local students. In California, they kinda bricked the online courses (at the time). You would get no credit for the course if it was within your major. The material was also somewhat simplified. Also, the fact that you took an online course was looked down upon. > My dad works at a state university system and they are aggressively pursuing MOOCs, but there has been a great deal of push back from students and placement partners (businesses who the colleges partner with for placement of trade students). That sounds like great news. Your right, it seems to boil down to politics. Professors, by and large, are freaking out about a new proposed law to mandate accepting online course credit. “There is no possibility that University of California faculty will shirk its responsibility to our students by ceding authority over courses to any outside agency,” wrote the faculty senate in a strongly worded letter. https://techcrunch.com/2013/04/03/a-few-crazy-college-fees-that-are-driving-education-online/ https://techcrunch.com/2013/04/03/a-few-crazy-college-fees-t...
- stinkytaco 10y ago
  > That sounds like great news. Your right, it seems to boil down to politics. I think the problem here in Minnesota is not the professors, but the students, who don't want to take an online course, especially since it does not seem to lead to a reduction in tuition. Several faculty had already integrated MOOCs into their curriculum (staff cuts may have forced their hand), but your customer have to want it. Placement partners also felt they were not necessarily preparing students to the agreed upon level.
  - velodrome 10y ago
    The approach to MOOCs should be done differently: 1) The courses should be VIGOROUS and SELF-PACED (no quarter, semester). 2) Billed on a monthly subscription. Students are short-sighted: 1) They can load up on more classes concurrently. 2) Spend more time on hard courses and breeze through on easy ones. 3) Have access to more courses and not be constrained by univ. budget or professor availability. Basically, the students get more for their money in the near term. At some point, the tuition will flatten out and potentially increase access to those who could not previously afford to attend.