Let's deregulate online learning…
"To be sure, minimum consumer protection and quality-assurance standards are necessary, but they would be far more protective, accurate, and efficient if they reflected a set of minimum expected outcomes around core general-education courses, rather than an all-encompassing, input-focused evaluation system. Put plainly: If a program is effective, who cares how many Ph.D.'s it touts among its administrators or how grand its home office looks?
States or the federal government could assess what is easily assessable—general-education and skills-based courses. For courses and programs whose outcomes aren't as easily measurable, the market does a much better job of determining value. Let a hundred providers bloom, whether they be colleges; companies like mine, StraighterLine; single professors; teams of professors; or, most likely, some combination of all of these. Those that offer the best product for the best price will succeed, and the others will fail.
The remaining obstacle is ensuring that government funds are being used appropriately. One solution is to shift the financial risk of supporting online courses entirely to private lenders. Or, if the public chooses to stimulate the private market, subsidize some portion of the loan to deserving populations. As with Gainful Employment rules, but far more efficient, private lenders would quickly determine what combination of student characteristics, online programs, and interest rates represent a good investment."
From: http://chronicle.com/article/Lets-Deregulate-Online/129617/
Let's Deregulate Online Learning – Online Learning – The Chronicle of Higher Education
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