Re:OSSU: A path to a free self-taught education in computer ...
by dragonwriter on Wednesday September 25, 2019 @02:02AM
(#21068092)
> While many people are interesting in starting to learn something on their own, drop off rates are extremely high for MOOCs.
The near-(or at-)zero cost of MOOCs mean people will start them when they would not commit to something with a higher activation cost. To some extent, the stats on drop-off aren't signs of being worse at getting people to complete them (though that's probably a factor to), but at getting people to start them when they would not start other kinds of programs. Which is often still a win, significant learning can happen without completing a curriculum.
The near-(or at-)zero cost of MOOCs mean people will start them when they would not commit to something with a higher activation cost. To some extent, the stats on drop-off aren't signs of being worse at getting people to complete them (though that's probably a factor to), but at getting people to start them when they would not start other kinds of programs. Which is often still a win, significant learning can happen without completing a curriculum.