“Open Online” Clicks vs. Ivy-Covered Bricks

Last month, The New York Times named 2012 “The Year of the MOOC.” That declaration capped a whirlwind of media coverage and commentary on the rapid rise of MOOCs—short for “massive open online courses.” Top universities have joined forces with start-ups such as Coursera, Udacity, and edX to offer free online classes. Colleges are lining up to participat…