MOOCmania: The State pays Twice

Nice essay, but particularly interesting with the commentary that follows.  Siva Vaidhyanathan raises issue of the role of government in education and in supporting the agendas of education start-ups.

This is a very helpful essay that does a good job working through many of the issues surrounding MOOCs. I wish you had considered, however, the problem raised by the political economy of MOOCs-via-corporation: UC makes MOOCs at a high cost per MOOC (and no faculty compensation); UC donates them to Udacity or Coursera; Udacity charges Cal State for their use in courses meant for those who need and deserve the best teaching, not just the latest experimental teaching. The state pays twice. Udacity walks away laughing.

via MOOCmania | DMLcentral.