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This is the link to a MOOC orchestrated by Stephen Downes, "Change in Formal Education Systems". Unlike the MOOCs that are getting all the press, like Coursera and EdX which are largely replicating a model that pushes content to the learner, this MOOC is actually trying to change the dynamics of teacher-learner interactions. The live session described here is about interaction. "Interaction - The various types and methods by which interaction is supported in formal education, especially student-student, student-content and student-teacher interactions. We look especially at the capacity to substitute one form of interaction for another based on funding, time subject and context."

Similar to the article below from Daniel, this article talks about how edX is making progress on the certification of students and final exams.

"Considering the biggest complaints about online education have fallen under the three Cs - completion, certification and cheating - edX appears to be covering all of their bases."

A nice reminder that throwing tech into a classroom solves nothing without proper teacher training. "That is why our investment in upgrading classrooms needs to focus equally on making sure teachers know how to use digital tools effectively." "the motherboard and the memory chip will never replace the passion and inspiration of a real-life teacher."

So I think this articles goes along the same lines as the one from Daniel, about "Are Kids Really Motivated by Technology?". Both bring up great points that just technology alone can't solve education--so it's interesting to think about what that means for a lot of the technology-driven initiatives we see now. Khan, digital textbooks, etc., bring in technology to the classroom, but how much do they still depend on teacher proficiency in the classroom? Are they just repackaging traditional education? What about things like Coursera or edX--does interacting with an inspirational and passionate teacher through the Web still positively affect students?