As an anecdote in the other direction, I love the fact that the courses have a pre-defined schedule and end date.
Without deadlines, a serial procrastinator like myself would never finish a course.
At Udacity, I've successfully completed the two classes I took when they were first released (and had deadlines). On the other hand, I only lasted around a week with the two classes that are under "open enrollment".
Why not offer both options? Either take it at a predefined pace in line with academic semesters or at your own pace. Seems like it would be the best of both worlds.
Because procrastination is the inability to deal with self-set deadlines. By definition, even: "the action of delaying or postponing something." Which means that a self-imposed deadline gets set back indefinitely, forever.
I'm of the same mind as markdown—simple Udacity and iTunes U classes were ignored, but Jeff Leek's much, much harder Biostatistics class was something I completed relatively easily (the deadlines at least. And I did pass.)
The sad truth is the majority of people (and I am one) are not suited for autodidactical learning. The motivation may or may not be there, but the ability to push forward as per Socrates' mythical student was told is not. Those deadlines, in light of human nature, are the killer feature.
Without deadlines, a serial procrastinator like myself would never finish a course.
At Udacity, I've successfully completed the two classes I took when they were first released (and had deadlines). On the other hand, I only lasted around a week with the two classes that are under "open enrollment".