> The world doesn't need another way to spoon-feed infotainment to well-off people with good academic backgrounds
Actually, that is exactly what the world needs, and the comments here further emphasize that the demand is there. Before these MOOCs appeared on the scene, the resources were almost non-existent. I don't care about school, I just want to learn. A service like Netflix, but with MOOC-like content would be perfect.
It saddens me that Thrun, who I have found to be exceptionally good at the job, is more interested in schooling than learning – but I get it from a business aspect. These results dash the hopes of what Udacity hinted would become their business model.
Actually, that is exactly what the world needs...I don't care about school, I just want to learn.
The disconnect is that you probably don't need to learn as badly as someone impoverished and living in the more closed societies that Thrun is trying to reach.
For them to become competitive in the world market they need to have skills and knowledge that you and most of the people with access to computers and the internet take for granted. So I agree with the parent comment that the world does not need another way for someone with a BS to get marginally smarter on an esoteric topic (for 99% of humanity) like AI. We need a platform for those without access to education to learn how to do basic coding, or learn other skills that will be needed in the coming decades.
I could see paying for a quality educational service. I already pay for Netflix and only spend a fraction of the time watching it compared to what I spend on watching MOOC-style videos. Udacity isn't really there though. The videos are top notch, but the user experience is not very good.
It doesn't seem like Thrun put a lot of effort into popularizing the approach either. He gave 1.5 years and a pilot program to affirm a product that undermines years of ingrained ritual and validity? It doesn't seem like he was ever interested in changing education.
Actually, that is exactly what the world needs, and the comments here further emphasize that the demand is there. Before these MOOCs appeared on the scene, the resources were almost non-existent. I don't care about school, I just want to learn. A service like Netflix, but with MOOC-like content would be perfect.
It saddens me that Thrun, who I have found to be exceptionally good at the job, is more interested in schooling than learning – but I get it from a business aspect. These results dash the hopes of what Udacity hinted would become their business model.