"Flying mustache" Friedman getting roundly criticized (again)

[n2doc]

2. Many, if not most, students are unprepared for the mental rigor it takes to work online

It is not like playing 'angry birds'. You have to set aside the time, and be prepared to concentrate, in an environment with no incentive to do so (other that what you yourself can muster). In a good classroom environment, you face pressure to pay attention to the lecture, ask questions, listen to others. Sure, some huge lecture halls provide the opportunity to sleep through the lecture, and you do still need to attend the lecture if you are going to school. But in my experience, and I have taught both on line and in person, students respond much more actively to face to face lecturing.
Don't even get me started on the bs about "star" lecturers. Most of these so called 'stars' are no better than cut rate b movie actors. Making students 'feel good' isn't the best sign of learning, but it is what gets good evaluations.