Yes, that's definitely a problem, particularly the way most classes on services like Udacity are done. You can't just videotape the lectures and translate the homework/quizzes into a MOOC and expect that it's going to be compelling.
Khan Academy definitely gets this right where other MOOCs really fail. The quizzes are actually quite engaging and the 'gamified' point giving, despite being incredibly cheesy, really seems to work.
I agree that there is no replacement for TAs and the professor, and I think that's where a lot of confusion about MOOCs stems from. This is where 'flip' teaching comes about. Instead of wasting time doing daily lesson planning and grading papers, the TAs and the professor spend their time helping students out who are having trouble. The students can watch/re-watch pre-recorded lectures and then take quizzes during class time which can be graded by the computer.
Khan Academy definitely gets this right where other MOOCs really fail. The quizzes are actually quite engaging and the 'gamified' point giving, despite being incredibly cheesy, really seems to work.
I agree that there is no replacement for TAs and the professor, and I think that's where a lot of confusion about MOOCs stems from. This is where 'flip' teaching comes about. Instead of wasting time doing daily lesson planning and grading papers, the TAs and the professor spend their time helping students out who are having trouble. The students can watch/re-watch pre-recorded lectures and then take quizzes during class time which can be graded by the computer.