> Reading good books/having good lecturers certainly helps, but there is no way to replace the work.

I watch with wry amusement how schools constantly try to take the work out of learning. It never works. It's like putting labor-saving machinery in the gym - you'll never get stronger. You gotta put in the sweat.

This is the real weakness of most MOOCs. Most people are not disciplined enough to do nearly enough of the real work themselves without some sort of outside incentive. At least not until they have several years of practice.