Not just for higher education (though these aren't the first k-12 MOOCS and the professional development aspect could have some interesting outcomes....
Re: "Online learning shaking up the world of education," Jan. 30. Monday I started a MOOC (massive open online course) at the University of Edinburgh, "An Introduction to Philosophy." Eighty thousand students are enrolled. My email inbox is crammed with hundreds of introductory personal statements covering what meals students just ate, major obsessions, relationships, etc.
Twenty years from now, many colleges and universities will be closed, their classrooms deserted and their students learning at home. These are the predictions of many post-secondary commentators these days. What is it that has changed so drastically? Is it that students are more demanding, faculty less committed, budgets too tight?
This is a great site with tons of resources. It was the resource package used for the "Foundations of Virtual Education" MOOC offered by Coursera. It well organized and provides a good overview.
"This course provides teachers with the foundation for understanding the movement towards virtual instruction. It introduces fundamental knowledge needed by teachers to succeed in a technology-dependent, instructional environment."