In conjunction with Sebastian Thrun’s forthcoming Georgia Tech visit this week, C21U decided to take an in-depth look at Udacity’s new online educational format.

Virtually all news stories on Thrun’s Udacity recount the story of the nearly 160,000 students from around the world who joined the massively open online course (MOOC) on Artificial Intelligence (AI); the robust community that developed around the class; and the interest in the potential of ventures such as Udacity, which represent “a much-needed shift away from the existing popular paradigm.” An Inside Higher Ed post post recounts MOOC creator George Siemens citing Udacity as an example of the success of massively open online classes; not withstanding this optimism, there are some complexities facing implementation of these innovations.

Questions have arisen about the sustainability and business model of the initiative. For example, can Udacity maintain its prestige if its affiliation with Stanford University changes? One article asks: “How much of the AI class appeal was due to the Stanford University name and reputation?” While education has intrinsic value, a key selling point of a degree from an institution of higher education, especially one as prestigious as Stanford, is its perceived value. Without the Stanford linkage, how will Udacity continue to distinguish itself from the many organizations offering online courses? An Atlantic article suggests that Udacity competitor MITx, while still relatively new, will not have this problem, as the courses in this program are university affiliated. The article remains optimistic, however, that Thrun’s reputation as the leader in this field will be sufficient to give his courses credibility. Moreover, Ann Kritcer, in the Chronicle of Higher Education notes that “the value of a degree is symbolic, backed not by gold but by the graduate’s sense of its worth and the employer’s willingness to accept it as currency of competency.” The article concludes, however, that “sometimes symbolism is too expensive,” and for a student who wants the skill, but not necessarily an entire degree, avenues such as Udacity provide an effective alternative.

Indeed, many of Udacity’s students blogged about their experiences with the class and their motivations for taking them. Although some did not make their way through all of the course materials, the experiences seemed largely positive. According to Inside Higher Ed, one user praised Udacity’s instructional approach, as she found the videos and quizzes helpful and appropriate, citing the constant quizzes that allowed for learners to fail constructively. Another student (reported in Wired) noted one of the most engaging aspects of the community surrounding the course was that students created the tools that they needed to participate. For example, when the forums became difficult to navigate, a man from Poland scripted a Google Chrome plugin to make browsing easier. Overwhelmingly, even those who neither finished nor passed seemed to have positive things to say about the course.

Although many Universities discuss the need for innovation and change in higher education, Udacity is one instance of actual change.