Good Morning and happy Monday!

We start off today with a look at the spread of MOOCs. Economic woes have hit everyone, including higher education. MOOCs (and some other unifying ideas) have been slowly but surely becoming a real solution for many colleges and universities.

First, Inside Higher Ed‘s article proposes MOOCs and more technology in the classroom as positive spin on an otherwise pessimistic Moody’s report on traditional revenue streams for universities.

Nowhere to Turn (Inside Higher Ed)

California State U. Will Experiment With Offering Credit for MOOC’s (Inside Higher Ed)
Calfornia State U. seems to be jumping on the MOOC bandwagon with some remedial and introductory courses. In comparison to San Jose’s high tuition these courses have a $150 price tag and a 300 student limit. At that price, and with high demand from students for distance learning options, better catch them while you can!

Online Start-Up Plans to Create ‘Ivy Caliber’ Education for Half the Price (Business Insider)
Still heart-broken from that Ivy-league rejection letter? And if you did get in, what about that tuition cost? The Minerva Project and its CEO Ben Nelson (former CEO of Snapfish) has a seminar-like structure in mind, with online live streaming to reach more students; he’s even got a former Harvard President and Treasury Secretary in on the act.

Unthinking Technophilia (Inside Higher Ed)
And yet, some question the MOOCs-as-solution movement. Another viewpoint in this essay continues the debate as it highlights, among other things, the lack of a classroom environment and a personal touch (interactions with professors) in new proposals.

Recording and Using Podcasts Using the Internet Archive (The Chronicle of Higher Education – ProfHacker)
Yet one English professor, a newbie to the world of MOOCs, has decided that he won’t let the classroom environment be forgotten. The Fayetteville State University professor is making his own podcasts, with scenes of a “learning environment” to act as the background to his lectures.

Drexel U. Library Adds Vending Machine to Dispense Laptops (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
On the lighter side…so you get to the library and you’re ready to study but then you realize you forgot your laptop! Never fear, Drexel U. Library’s laptop vending machines are here! (Maybe you really can get by with just that tablet…or smartphone…after all.)

Have an awesome week! In other news…

SUNY Chancellor Bets Big on Technology (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
A Virtual Meeting Ground for Language and Literature Scholars (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
Lessons Learned From Wrestling with a MOOC (The Chronicle of Higher Education)

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