The commitment level is low. People put their name on a list as opposed to shelling out hundreds or thousands of dollars for a traditional class. The reward l

The commitment level is low. People put their name on a list as opposed to shelling out hundreds or thousands of dollars for a traditional class. The reward level is also low. You might get a certificate but nothing like credits that can transfer. You mainly just get knowledge. I think it is a lot like going to the library. I've got three books checked out right now. I've browsed one of them and decided it is pretty useless and not quite what I expected. One looks really good but I haven't started it. It is by one of my favorite authors but it wasn't on my radar, I just picked it up because it was on the shelf. One I am halfway through and I intend on finishing it but it is taking about three times longer to finish because Hofstadter's Law applies to my reading list, too. But my completion rate is the wrong metric. Over the past year I've probably read a dozen or more books that I wouldn't have otherwise if it weren't for my local library. And one lead me to buying the other six in the series, and a couple I've bought as reference. I feel like MOOCs should be judged in the same way. There are a lot of people gaining education through MOOCs that they would not have otherwise.