China’s new MOOCs could be a double-edged sword

By Katherine Forestier. Millions of learners in China and internationally can now access courses offered by China’s leading universities. The country’s top institutions launched their first massive open online courses, or MOOCs, on the US-based edX and Coursera platforms recently.
But as the MOOCs flood gates open, university leaders in China are calling for clearer policies from the government on MOOCs. Online courses are seen as a double-edged sword, with both advantages and disadvantages for higher education, a recent conference in Beijing heard. More...