Letter to the editor

The editors rightly point out that MOOCs have not lived up to the disruptive prognostications that were made at the “inflated expectations peak” of their hype cycle. But they seem stuck in the “trough of disillusionment,” the disappointment that follows the peak, when in fact open online learning has entered the next phase, the “plateau of productivity.” Great universities—Duke included—are integrating online learning into their strategies in ways that would have been unimaginable 10 years ago. Those strategies  are still emergent, but several are showing promise in addressing crucial issues of cost, access, and lifelong learning.

Georgia Tech’s online master’s program in computer science, launched in 2014, has enrolled thousands of qualified students in a top program for less than one-sixth the price of its in-person counterpart. A well-designed NBER study found that “online access [provided by the program] substantially increases the overall number of students enrolling” in computer science master's programs nationally. In fact, “this single program will boost annual national production of American computer science master's  degrees by about seven percent.” That is remarkable. 

EdX’s MicroMasters offer online, at low cost, a portion of coursework towards a master’s degree. Those who succeed in the online component are then invited to come to campus to finish their degree at an accelerated rate. At MIT, the MicroMasters model is substantially reducing the cost of the master’s in economics and making it possible for learners around the world to demonstrate their ability and earn credits toward their degree. These examples show that well-designed online learning can reduce costs and expand educational access, serving learners who would otherwise never make it to campus.

At Duke, the experience of developing over 50 Coursera courses with 80 Duke faculty members has demonstrated that Duke faculty, working in partnership with designers, videographers, editors and online course builders, are able to produce excellent online courses that extend the reach of their knowledge to global learners, many of whom had never previously heard of Duke. We have learned, through Duke’s introductory writing course on Coursera, that learner peer review can work as an assessment strategy at scale. This experience led to research publications and a significant impact on assessment design. We have learned that the instructional design approach required for developing online courses can transform how faculty approach all their teaching. 

As Duke’s open course effort matures we have a new set of opportunities before us. We can translate our Coursera experience into programs of greater impact to our university community. To offer a few examples of projects that are currently under way: We are designing online co-curricular programs (“bootcamps”) that offer extra preparation before a course or program starts, or bridge skills gaps for students as they prepare to enter the workforce. (We have even received some national attention for these early efforts.)

In September, in partnership with the Duke Alumni Association, we launched an online course for alumni with Professor David Schanzer of the Sanford School. We are planning more just-in-time learning experiences tailored to the needs of specific groups of alums. We are also exploring partnerships with high schools to offer free or low cost access to online Duke courses, allowing prospective students to connect with Duke and demonstrate their academic preparedness.

The  future is bright for learning innovation at Duke. I encourage you to attend a Nov. 1 panel discussion on “The Future of Online Education at Duke.”

Sincerely,