Northeastern CPS Blog A blog about the present and future of higher education

Author Archives: Peter Stokes

Peter Stokes, PhD, is executive director of Postsecondary Innovation at Northeastern University's College of Professional Studies, a role dedicated to conducting research on innovative practices across a range of academic and administrative functions within higher education. As a commentator, public speaker, and advisor to a variety of educational organizations, Peter has been a longstanding contributor to debates about higher education public policy at the federal and the state level.

MOOCs and free online education for all: a crucial crossroads

May 3, 2024 1 Comment

Daphne Koller makes a compelling case that her company Coursera (which partners with universities to offer free online courses open to anyone) and its massive open online course (MOOC) counterparts have the potential to transform lives. During a recent presentation at Northeastern University, Koller shared rich anecdotes about learners who live far from their U.S.-based courses of study who have ... Read More »

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MOOCs Get LinkedIn to Employers

Struggling with low completion rates, some providers of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have launched a new strategy to increase student motivation. And it’s social. Social media platform LinkedIn announced this week it would begin a pilot program to allow students to display online courses they have completed on their LinkedIn profile. That way, students may be able to market themselves... Read more →
Udacity’s MOOCs Facing Pushback - From Its Own Founder

It recently came out that, from an educational standpoint, Udacity founder Sebastian Thrun wasn’t satisfied with his own product. The professor-turned-entrepreneur-turned-CEO is known for single-handedly starting the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) revolution, which held the promise of bringing world-class education to all corners of the world. He’s now begun to shift his company’s path toward more workplace-aimed training. “I’d... Read more →
Learning Through Experience: A New Surge in Competency-Based Education

What if students were judged more on their skills than time they spent in the classroom? Competency-based education seeks to do just that. Although the idea has been around for several decades, new research emphasizing the importance of experiential learning in classroom-based and online courses are causing people to revisit the idea that mastering skills are more important than how long... Read more →
In-Person ‘Learning Hubs’ On the Horizon for MOOCS

Thanks to a new deal highlighted in the New York Times, the U.S. State Department has committed to a partnership with massive open online course (MOOC) provider Coursera to open in-person “learning hubs,” where students can access free MOOCs and meet with discussion groups. This is an interesting change in course for MOOCs, the entire premise of which is built on... Read more →
Online Ed Provider Coursera Does the Math

Coursera, one of the higher-profile names in online education, has produced an infographic that showcases some pretty diversely impressive stats. It makes a strong case for proof of concept, regarding online education in general—and as a success story for Coursera in particular. Some of the figures are pretty stunning (more than 5,500 cumulative years of video-hours watched?!), and others serve... Read more →

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