“For the first time ever...” Yeah, right.
Edx, Coursera, Udacity and Boundless have been around for five years or more. The problem is that taking online courses is boring. I’ve taken three and wow. Boring.
MOOC's (Massive Online Open Courses) are a fantastic resource and welcome educational medium, but they should not replace the entire learning experience. The dropout rates of these courses are extremely high. I believe many MOOC learners are professionals (non-degree seeking) who wish to learn about a subject but not commit time and money resources for a 12-week semester.
I like the MOOC option, but agree with you it's not very engaging.