Notes to Self

[KevinD]

Actually, I checked out the courses offered. I spied at least one in 5 mins that I'd like to take. Too bad it already started, but I book marked the site and will keep checking.

[RBP]

It's free. It's an organized volunteer thing. I'm assuming that either some of the classes that they're offering are absolutely nothing to the instructors that are teaching them out of the kindness of their own heart or the universities seriously want to branch out and test out how offering classes entirely online will work out for them. Kinda like an 'increase their traffic and visibility online thing'.

I keep telling myself that I'm gonna take one or two of the classes they offer, but I always forget to sign up before they start. I figured I usually remember things better if I write stuff down or type it, so why not have a virtual yellow sticky note on the forum for me to trip over?

It'd be kinda cool to be able to say that I've taken classes from universities from all over the world.

Um, no, it's not. It's a highly capitalized venture with future profits in mind, greater growth than twitter. Look at the press information on their website.

This was recently published: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/0...er-43-million/

[DemonGeminiX]

First line:

Coursera, a year-old company offering free online courses...

[DemonGeminiX]

8th paragraph:

Now, the company works with 83 educational institutions on four continents, offering about 400 free college-level courses to more than four million students from every country in the world.

[RBP]

Dude, so what. Geesh. It's a business model. They offer free shit with venture capital and monetize later. That's how every internet company starts. That does not equal "It's an organized volunteer thing."

[DemonGeminiX]

Dude, so what. Geesh. It's a business model. They offer free shit with venture capital and monetize later. That's how every internet company starts. That does not equal "It's an organized volunteer thing."

At this moment in time, it's not costing you or me a dime, and that is the point. Unless you want to sign up for one of those signature tracks, which really isn't worth it, then you're not paying anything. You could easily prove to an employer that you took the class successful by displaying the knowledge you gained and internalized.

If and when they start charging a fee to take these classes, their number of students will probably drop. But at this point in time, it's of no concern to me.

I sincerely doubt that any of those college professors are getting paid anything to throw up a 60 minute video once a week on something they probably know like the back of their hand and throw some exercises and quizzes their online students' ways. I say that because in the article it says

Faculty members at several institutions have expressed concern about how the courses may change higher education...

which I take to mean that those instructors probably aren't getting paid for their efforts in this format and they have bills to pay.

Sure the powers that be might be looking to the future, it's insane to think that they're not, but right now what I originally said holds true. It is free.

[RBP]

No, the point I was making was not whether there is any current cost the student, but rather disagreeing with your assertion that it was a charitable organization. It is not.

[DemonGeminiX]

It's free to me and that's all I care about.





Watch I get bit in the ass and try to sign up for several classes at the same time and they come back and say I have to pay an exorbitant fee for every class after the first free one.

[RBP]

It's free to me and that's all I care about.





Watch I get bit in the ass and try to sign up for several classes at the same time and they come back and say I have to pay an exorbitant fee for every class after the first free one.

Nah, I don't think their model is based on student fees. The educational organizations will pay and get their money on the back end by charging students who wants to apply it to degree programs. Which is fair and still cheaper.