One of the most popular questions I hear being asked about MOOC is, "Will employers recognize this as a standard university education". I think, in a way, it's telling that question gets asked so frequently, as if looking for an assurance that MOOC will not be a waste of time, or just as good as traditional education.

When employers use education as a minimum bar, it may often be the case that the actual bar is the history as qualification, rather than the actual content of the information. It's similar to how a degree in theory would prove the employer that the person has some discipline to finish a degree.