The debate over MOOCs has quickly become polarized between defenders of the old higher-ed order on one side, and futurists predicting a total transformation of theindustry on the other. (As regular readers will know, we’ve tilted more toward the latter group, though we admit that the technology has seen some setbacks in recent months.) Over at The American, however, an excellent new piece by Edward Tenner threads the needle between these two views; positing MOOCs as both less dangerous and less transformative than either their critics and admirers claim.

MOOC critics have been making hay over some studies and interviews suggesting that the movement may be losing steam. But despite some setbacks, “blended” MOOCs that mix online courses with in-class instruction are still on course to transform higher-ed.