Universities are losing their monopoly

GUEST BLOG BY TOM BEREND

The next step in the evolution of on-line universities has arrived:  Antioch University is integrating courses from MOOCs into their accredited degree programs.   http://www.antioch.edu/antioch-announcement/antioch-university-becomes-first-us-institution-to-offer-credit-for-mooc-learning-through-coursera/   They don't present it this way, but basically you get credit for a 'free' on-line course by paying them to certify it.

There might be some value-add for the tuition price beyond the calligraphed diploma.  At Antioch, there will be a faculty member serving as a facilitator so that students aren't entirely on their own.   But I'd guess that university staff everywhere are outraged because 'facilitator' isn't going to be a tenure-track position.

There is nothing new about on-line courses or distance learning.  There isn't even anything new about disintermediation of university functions;  Pearson offers exam centers and Sage offers on-line libraries.  But splitting teaching and credentialing functions cuts to the heart of the monopoly that has sustained universities for 800 years.  It won't be long before we see degree-granting universities whose only assets are their reputation and supply chain.

Ontario was promised an on-line university in the 2011 throne speech.  We're still waiting, but it just became a lot cheaper.

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