San Jose State’s credit-bearing MOOC hybrid follows several similar experiments that have popped up around the country in recent months. Most do not count as MOOCs -- the courses are not “open” in the pure sense, because students must enroll in and pay for them.
California is the Fertile Crescent for massive open online course providers, at least the for-profit ones. The state is also shaping up as a testing ground for phase two of the MOOC experiment, which includes fees and a path to college credit, and where public colleges try to use material from MOOCs to help meet student demand in gateway courses.
Gov. Jerry Brown wants California’s public institutions to take a hard look at MOOCs. Along with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he is encouraging experimentation with MOOC platforms for introductory and remedial courses.