Most significantly, the pilot programs will give universities an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of Coursera material, which could go a long way toward legitimizing the MMOC concept.

ENGADGET

Massive open online courses have the potential to alter how we teach and learn as a society, but unlike other methods that are steeped in centuries of trial and error, the MMOC concept remains experimental and unproven -- often criticized as better suited for edification than rigorous education.

ENGADGET