Is Coursera Facebook, Amazon, or Pets.com?

Michael Feldstein sobre el curso que pueden tomar los xMOOC (Coursera, edX) y su posible impacto en las universidades. A su parecer, una de las características distintivas más importantes de los MOOC no conectivistas (lo que los diferencia de un LMS) es funcionar como escaparate de cursos. Anticipa tres futuros posibles: Facebook (el vale está en las conexiones entre usuarios), Amazon (venta global de contenidos y servicios) y Pets.com (cada universidad tiene su escaparate).

I have deliberately used commercial language here and have focused on financial sustainability for the institutions because I think it is an important dimension to the MOOC phenomenon that is either being ignored or exhorted in breathless paeans to "disruption" This is serious stuff, and it merits some level-headed analysis. But at the same time, what is "good" for the current incarnation of traditional academic institutions is not necessarily what is best for students or even the long-term health of academic communities. This post isn’t about what should happen. It’s about what could happen.