How much are you spending on that MOOC? Is it worth it?

By Marilyn M. Lombardi. We can thank the University of Manitoba for launching the massive open online course craze.
Back in 2008, Manitoba’s “Connectivism and Connective Knowledge” online course was made available for free to online “auditors.” When more than 2,000 people unexpectedly signed up for the experience, an acronym (“MOOC”) and a movement was born. My involvement with MOOCs started in the summer of 2012 when Duke University was approached by Coursera, a Stanford university spin-off company with venture capital in its coffers and a message of global social responsibility to which chief academic officers at elite institutions were quick to respond. More...