I couldn't convey the technicality across, but the bad experiences I had were mostly localized in course 6 classes - Intro to Algorithms, Design & Analysis of Algorithms, Intro to Machine Learning. I actually did very well in math & physics because Office Hours were much more available, and they tried teaching in different formats (e.g. TEAL).

>incredibly open policy on working together Yes this was mostly the case - except for course 6. Also, I - sadly - didn't have study groups. For a combination of reasons, including my flaws, I just wasn't good at making friends in college.

As for how it's different from a job board with zoom - the key is to solve the "scarcity" issue, in my opinion. Teaching 1-on-1 for n students scales O(n). If there's a way to teach n students O(log(n)) i.e. address all overlapping needs with videos that can be replayed infinitely, then address remaining personalization problems, that's the approach I believe in