HOUSE OVERSIGHT 028643 MOOCs, took heart from this. What exactly can the administration do to hasten technological innovation besides hosting datapaloozas? The fact sheet points to two proposals: one that requires money, and one that doesn't. A "First in the World" fund of $260 million, presumably requiring congressional approval, would "test and evaluate innovative approaches to higher education that yield dramatically better outcomes." Education officials liken this to a $650 million "Investing in Innovation" fund created under the 2009 stimulus law that has been used as seed money for experiments in K-12 education. And the Education Department could cut regulatory barriers to innovation, whatever those might be. Education officials said Friday that they plan to solicit ideas from colleges on what government rules are hindering innovation. Many educators might say that red tape gets in the way of experiments in distance learning and degree programs not organized around the traditional credit hour. The fact sheet asserts: "The Department will use its authority to issue regulatory waivers for 'experimental sites' that promote high-quality, low-cost innovations in higher education, such as making it possible for students to get financial aid based on how much they learn, rather than the amount of time they spend in class." Back to top Massively Online And Offline Too: How MOOCs Will Evolve In The Physical World Giovanni Rodriguez — Forbes I was at the airport about this time last Sunday, when I overheard a conversation that's becoming quite commonplace. One person was explaining to another what a MOOC was, but he couldn't remember what the letters stood for. As someone who regards himself as an amateur, ad-hoc, in-the-moment teacher, I felt compelled to help him out: "Massive. Open. Online. Course." He thanked me. He had been struggling to remember the "open" part of the MOOC message. And, even more interesting, he had been struggling to remembe