One might twist this issue about why MOOCs like Coursera and edX now exist, and the specific One might twist this issue about why Coursera and edX now exist back and forth as long as one likes, but an interesting interpretation could be this: If we believe something important actually will happen then perhaps better, we start working on it ourselves, before someone else does. But then why did their owners step away?
1996, a new camera-system called APS, Advanced Photo System, was introduced by Kodak, Nikon and Canon and others; discontinued film format for still photography (paper photo).
Was APS deliberately introduced, also kept alive up until 2004, only in order to block the development of digital photography that these actors already knew was on its way? A rumor say that they just wanted to buy themselves enough time to adapt to a digital world.
But in 2012, Kodak filed for bankruptcy – didn’t they manage to adapt quickly enough?
Doing something in order to avoid future trouble, but still go bankrupt 16 years later, isn´t that a sign on how long lead time that is needed to fundamentally change a big corporation?
A big organization really need to see changes way ahead in order to be able to adapt.
Could this be a useful parallel when thinking about why big well-established organisations like Harvard, MIT, Stanford…first started these MOOCS, then stepped away?
Have they simply decided not to be part of the big global e-learning-business?
Disruptive Education 