by Jeffrey R. Young, Chronicle of Higher Ed
The American Council on Education has agreed to review a handful of free online courses offered by Coursera. The move could lead to a world in which many students graduate from traditional colleges faster by taking self-guided courses on the side, taught free through MOOCs. ACE also announced on Tuesday that it will set up a Presidential Innovation Lab that will bring together college leaders to discuss the potential of MOOC’s and new business models for higher education. In announcing the grant, ACE announced it will address in research undertaken in collaboration with the University of Illinois Springfield’s Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service are to what extent do MOOCs reach low-income young adult and older adult learners, what is the level of satisfaction of students enrolled in MOOCs, and do MOOCs have the potential to help lead to degrees or certificates. This work will be performed using data from several MOOC platforms, including Coursera. Working with UPCEA, ACE will assess the applicability of ACE CREDIT recommendations to degree completion programs aimed at adult learners. A pilot project with a small number of colleges and universities will seek to determine whether or not MOOCs are successful in re-engaging adult learners.
http://chronicle.com/article/American-Council-on-Education/135750/
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