Harvard and MIT have announced a joint venture investment starting with $60 million for on-line courses being offered. Whereas a few hundred students attend each course in Brick & Mortar classrooms, several thousand can sign up and take the courses they need...no matter where in the world their desk is located.
I'm guessing this will go a long way in re-assuring potential students of the validity of on-line learning. I'm guessing that the famous schools see the potential of increased income as e-courses charge higher tuition while hard costs to the university is lower. Further, the drop out rate is high since students must motivate themselves to do the readings, complete and submit the assignments by deadlines, meet with instructors on-line at appointment time and work in cohorts with people they've never met in the traditional sense. The write-up didn't make it clear if there was planned face-to-face segments at the beginning or end of programs as some of the better programs provide.
I'm guessing this will go a long way in re-assuring potential students of the validity of on-line learning. I'm guessing that the famous schools see the potential of increased income as e-courses charge higher tuition while hard costs to the university is lower. Further, the drop out rate is high since students must motivate themselves to do the readings, complete and submit the assignments by deadlines, meet with instructors on-line at appointment time and work in cohorts with people they've never met in the traditional sense. The write-up didn't make it clear if there was planned face-to-face segments at the beginning or end of programs as some of the better programs provide.
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