Now that MOOCs are mainstream, where does online learning go next? https://thenextweb.com/contributors/2017/07/19/now-moocs-mainstream-online-learning-go-next/#.tnw_FckJF5gE
My comment, which I'll also share here: Like a lot of articles on online education in the last few years, this one seems to conflate MOOCs, which are relatively recent in the popular consciousness, with online learning in general, which has been offered in a recognisable form for over twenty years now. And I don't think that MOOC providers started charging for certificated because of the "real value that is now attached to online qualifications", I think it's just that the people running them eventually realised that having zero revenue isn't the most sustainable business model.