Good to read that Duolingo not only feels more effective than in-person classes and Rosetta but now has empiric evidence that is more effective.<p>I just dont get why the author here, Markoff, seems to be such a gloomster about MOOC, as he speaks of "dirty secrets", and "sarcases" about "wild successes".<p>Online learning is NOT in-class learning; it is often less formal, less forced and if students learn something - even better. I took one online M.A. and it was required, hard work. So it speaks even more for Duolingo that it has such a big active learning community with such great proven outcomes.