College May Never be the Same

Jonathan Salovitz's course load sounds as grueling as any college undergraduate's: computer science, poetry, history, math and mythology, taught by professors at big-name schools such as Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania.

Except Salovitz, 23, is not an undergraduate. His effort won't count toward a bachelor's degree, and he hasn't paid a dime in tuition. Nor have his classmates, who number in the tens and even hundreds of thousands.

Instead, Salovitz calls himself a "guinea pig." He's participating in a grand experiment in higher education known as Massive Open Online Courses --MOOCs, for short. Learners of all ages around the world are flocking to them. Top universities are clamoring to participate. And MOOCs already have attracted the interest of some employers, paving the way for a potential revenue source. All in less than a year. Read More...