http://www.forbes.com/sites/troyonink/2013/05/15/georgia-tech-udacity-shock-higher-ed-with-7000-degree/ https://www.udacity.com Looked rather interesting, I thought. Cheers! -- Smug

$7k is a steal for that kind of education. I've browsed coursera before, but found their offerings spotty at best. Maybe they've improved? Online education seems to be the trend. Would hate to see the community life and live student-teacher interaction disappear, but the cost of traditional college is becoming unsustainable. My wife and I will be in debt for at least the next 20 years ... And that's only if the early loan forgiveness is still around then.

error

@SmugWimp. Saw that...it's still in the works...with initial intake of limited number of students...but online education is the future...and cheaper! With all the interactive tools available, the only thing getting in the way would be self-discipline, i.e. actually DOING it :-)

Steve - I agree. That discipline thing is what makes schooling so powerful. Say what you will about the GPA system, but grades do motivate most students to keep with it and try harder.

@Chris1. I guess in the Star Trek world, you are motivated to learn because you focus on your interests/passions rather than what you need to learn to get a job :-) We're getting there slowly...now if only they'd get rid of the need for money to exchange goods :-)

Lol - you mean a barter system? Or no paper money?

Probably an exchange of service or goods :-)

I agree that turning up has a lot to do with motivation. I have attempted a few online courses and never completed them. They need to find a way to motivate online - have a Games Centre type situation where you become passively competitive against other students. Find out (even if anonymously) how many people have already handed in their assignments, what scores other students got etc. I think that type of thing would up the anti and would certainly get me more interested.

@OrchardApps. Totally agree. Great ideas...maybe send those to some of the MOOC's :-)

Hmm I'm actually considering this...

I found it hard to learn coding on my own. I get bored with the"Hello World" programs. I usually stop at that point. I found a site called www.Lynda.com. They have an Objective-C course. The instructor walks you through step by step from setting up your compiler (Xcode and Eclipse) to the basics of the code. The videos are broken into small sections about a few minutes long, so you can practice on your own before going to the net section. I am getting my degree in programming, but I found this course very helpful. It is a paid site, $37.50 per month which includes all of the files used in the course. You can complete the course in one month, and you still have the files to reference. It will not make you a programmer, but it will give you jump start in creating apps. If I write another "Hello World" Program, I am going to scream. ... :)

@Absentia. The degree or sending MOOC's suggestions? :-) I find that generic degrees are becoming less of a benefit than specific ones, unless you go into teaching or business. e.g. Degree in Security, or certifications in whatever area you want to specialize in might be more valuable than a general Computer Science degree. Unless you want to teach :-) Just my 2c. I got my computer science degree from a top university in Canada (Waterloo University) and never really found it to be of much use in terms of what I learnt (it was good to put it on a résumé though, back long time ago, but now certifications or specializations seem to have more value when looking for a traditional job) :-) Cheers

I would think a degree in programming would be better than computer science

@First Run...LOL. I totally agree. I bought into a kickstarter last year which teaches you Objective-C...I need to crack open that course now that I feel I'm ready for it...the instructors initial .pdf intro was cool...with cartoon images and everything...give me cartoons and I can learn almost anything :-) I