Caroline Hoxby

Scott and Donya Bommer Professor of Economics at Stanford University

Topic: 
The Economics of Online Higher Education
Date: 
Tuesday, April 7, 2015 - 4:30pm to 6:00pm

Location: 

CERAS Learning Hall

The Stanford Digital Learning Forum welcomes Caroline Hoxby to the Seminar Series. Seminars will take place in the Center for Educational Research at Stanford (CERAS). Each talk will begin at 4:30pm and be followed by a reception at 5:30pm.

Abstract: I discuss how online postsecondary education, including massive open online courses (MOOCs), might fit into economically sustainable models of postsecondary education. I contrast nonselective postsecondary education (NSPE) in which institutions sell fairly standardized educational services in return for up- front payments and highly selective postsecondary education (HSPE) in which institutions invest in students in return for repayments much later in life. The analysis suggests that MOOCs will be financially sustainable substitutes for some NSPE but that MOOCs will be financially sustainable substitutes for only a small share of HSPE. I discuss non-MOOC models of online education that may allow HSPE institutions both to sustain their distinctive activities and to reach a larger number of students.

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