MIT offers a MOOC for credit in order to solve a scheduling problem https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/06/15/credit-mooc-proves-popular-among-mit-students
They kept mentioning student's stress level. I'm going to sound a little cold, but isn't part of their secret sauce creating a certain kind of learner (through stress and other influences)? Imagine if the military boot camp process decided to reinvent itself to make it "less stressful" for the recruits?
Effective learning and better retention are usually achieved in stress reduced environment. Learning outcomes, in my opinion, are better in reduced stress environment. Now preparing students to the real world can benefit from subjecting them to a more stressful environment. Meeting deadlines and dealing with stressful situations is real life preparation. What I like is that in a free society one has a choice.
I think there is such a thing as the "optimal level of stress." Even knowing that you'll be tested on the taught material can improve learning relative to a scenario where there is no accountability at all. Excessive levels of stress, on the other hand, can clearly interfere with learning.
Which explains a lot about the state of lawyering in the U.S. Law school classes almost always involve just one test at the end of the semester for a grade, all-or-nothing; and then there's the Bar, that two or three day extravaganza covering years of study that's also all-or-nothing--or you take it again...and again...and again. Soul crushing stress. No wonder when I was in practice everyone seemed to have substance abuse problems, family problems, stress-related health problems. Too much stress inhibits learning and life. Glad to be an EX-lawyer.