Good step in the right direction. However, you are going to work just as hard, if not harder, than a local student and not get credit that can be used towards a proper university degree. I understand that this is an experiment. I get it. But, maybe MIT could offer the option to pass the actual course with full credit by examination once a student gets a passing grade on the MITx course?
It just seems like a lot of work for a certificate that might not carry much, if any, real weight. There are a good number of online degree programs where your work will actually go towards a degree.
The model I'd love to see goes something like this: Enroll in MITx. Study on your own. Pass. Then, on an annual basis, there's an opportunity to come to MIT, take a test, do some labs and get credit and grade on the real class towards a degree. People from all over the world would be open to that approach.
Now, if all you want is the knowledge while participating in a really neat experiment, by all means, full steam ahead.
I have a degree in engineering from Stanford, which is one of the top engineering schools in the world. Do you know where I keep it? I gave it to my mother over 20 years ago since she liked to look at it. She died a long time ago. I haven't seen it since then, and I don't have any idea where it is. Would you like to know how many people have asked to see it other than my mother? The answer is zero. Would you like to know how many coworkers, employers, acquirers and partners have asked to see my credentials since I graduated? The answer is zero.
Credentials are completely useless in this field. They mean nothing. No one wants to see them, unless you are trying to emigrate to another country and have to prove you have a degree.
The reason one takes classes at MIT or Stanford is because they are known to have really good programs. The degree doesn't matter. The certificate doesn't matter. After you graduate, no one cares about that stuff.
Do you list your degree on your resume? Do those approaching you with proposals for work know that you went to Stanford? I agree with your view that a degree itself isn't inherently valuable, but I wonder if you are able to measure its benefits so easily.
Sure, it's on my CV. But I could say I had a law degree from Harvard there as well, just listing something proves little. It's been some time since I actually used a CV in my career, but when I did there was not once an attempt to validate any claims, my skills and talents were evaluated from the thinking I demonstrated and rapport I established in each interview, not from validation of credentials which never once happened.
"Do those approaching you with proposals for work know that you went to Stanford?"
Those who approach me and talk to me don't know anything about my education as far as I know, it's just not been discussed in years, my reputation and track record are what is important. I wouldn't even mention it here except as an example of a credential which I think that most assume is a big deal, but which in reality, practice, and life experience doesn't mean anything at all.
Hm, wracking my brain here to think who knows where I went to school. I'm pretty sure no one I work with. My (life) partner knows, but only because I'm sure it's come up in conversation, it's probably been years since I've even discussed it.
Anyway, the point of this is I see the potential of these classes as immense and able to change the world. I am also a bit cynical that that will happen. The power of an elite, expensive certification as a validation of class and not talent is too valuable. MIT is now saying (on their MITx web page) they intend to, after working out the kinks, start offering credentials with their MITx program and "validating" students identity. How this will work internationally one can only imagine. Remote classes can't really be validated as to who took the class: it's impossible unless they plan to monitor each student via a video camera, which is unlikely. Given that "identity validation" proves little, why even bother with it? Why not just allow anyone to take the class, given that it is intended to be free -- if education is the goal. But if certification is the goal and not education, then identity is very important since it's the certification and not what you know and what you can do that is important.
One market I haven't seen people discuss regarding this is businesses doing a large amount of research. I actually believe Coursera/Udacity/etc are actually trying to disrupt the undergrad education market, however I think we might start to see more businesses take advantage of this. With MIT for example, anyone could take any course without being a student, but the cost was at least double what a normal student would pay. Who would do this? Cambridge companies that need their staff caught up to speed on nlp, ml or something else. I'm fairly sure that Stanford has a similar deal.
For companies doing research that want to send their staff to these programs the main benefit is they want their researchers to have a top notch education in the area, but the cons are that the courses are very expensive and you have to have your employee off campus for however many hours a week the class is. Now it's possible pay nothing, have your staff stay in the office, and still be taught by world class experts.
I'm sure Google has a reasonable number of employees that are great programmers but could probably benefit from some formal CS background. Now they can keep these people on campus, and give them access to great materials for free (and even if there is a cost for these eventually it will be much lower), and get them training by world-class experts.
In this scenario a certificate is all you really need since the employer can say "I at least know you put some actual effort into this". Many companies don't necessarily need more employees with CS masters, but would certainly like more people with a foundation in nlp or ml. The structure of these courses essentially allows research companies the option to create an 'in-house' degree, covering only the material they find competitively beneficial.
I'd love it if MITx courses could give a chance for real credit, rather than a certificate. That said, what incentive does MIT have to give real credit? It seems like it would only devalue taking these courses in person.
It just seems like a lot of work for a certificate that might not carry much, if any, real weight. There are a good number of online degree programs where your work will actually go towards a degree.
The model I'd love to see goes something like this: Enroll in MITx. Study on your own. Pass. Then, on an annual basis, there's an opportunity to come to MIT, take a test, do some labs and get credit and grade on the real class towards a degree. People from all over the world would be open to that approach.
Now, if all you want is the knowledge while participating in a really neat experiment, by all means, full steam ahead.