When massive open online courses (moocs) took off three years ago, there was much concern that they would destroy traditional universities. Thatisn't happening. "We're doing a betterjob of improvingjob skills than of transforming the university sector," says Rick Levin, a former president of Yale, who runs Coursera, the biggest of the moocs. At the margins, technology is making education cheaper, more convenient and more effective. University of the People, a non-profit American-accredited online university, offers degrees to students all over the world at a total cost of $4,000; if they are poor, they can get scholarships. It started teaching in 2009, was accredited last year, has produced 65 graduates so far and now has 1,500 students. The faculty is made up of academics who volunteer their services.
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