How Nanodegrees Are Disrupting Higher Education - John K. Waters, Campus Technology

Udacity created quite a buzz at the annual Google I/O conference this year when the for-profit online education provider unveiled its new Android Developer Nanodegree program. Udacity later made the headline-grabbing announcement that it will refund half the tuition ($200 per month) for students completing the program in 12 months. The Android nanodegree is the sixth member of Udacity's young lineup of industry-led, career-oriented, online certification programs, but it's not surprising that the launch of this one would draw so much attention. There are about a billion active Android users worldwide, and consequently, something approaching urgent demand for Android developers. But this high-profile launch also raises again the question of where these kinds of programs fit in the post-secondary educational landscape, and whether such focused learning programs might finally emerge as a disruptive force in higher education. http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/08/05/how-nanodegrees-are-disrupting-higher-education.aspx