The internet has a history of being an open and free culture and this holds true for the culture of online education. In 2000 MIT faculty decided the best way to pursue their mission - "to advance knowledge and educate students" was to make all their course materials available online, for free, without the need to even register. They now have 1950 courses published and some amazing stories about how this online material is being used across the world.
Many other institutions have followed suit and a number of 'free universities' are emerging. The University of the People is one such institution currently offering two programs free of charge, Business Administration and Computer Science and boasts academics from Columbia University, New York University and Yale.
Other projects in the 'open and free' spirit include Open Textbooks and the Khan Academy:
Often I hear arguments such as "if I put it online, they won't come to class" but perhaps the opposite is true, if you put good course material online, people are more likely to come to class and more likely to participate in education in general.
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Hi Dayle,
ReplyDeleteI think universities offering free education is wonderful. It provides people who cannot afford an opportunity to study and gain an education. Education is so vital that everyone should be given a chance to further their education if they choose.Just look at the results.. people from all sides are benefiting.
I have to disagree with the argument 'if i put it online, they wont come to class', and agree with you that if the material is engaging then the students will go to their classes. If students are enjoying the class/material then the information on the internet set up for that class should only be used as a reference or resource page.
However, the question is how reliable is the quality and level of the education? Will employers accept its from a free university that has no accreditation's and reputations compared with say, The University of Melbourne? Will this leave negative connotations?
Yes Martine, you're right quality is definitely an issue. The University of the People is not accredited so it probably wouldn't hold much sway on a resume. According to their site they are starting that process with the aim of becoming a accredited at some stage soon.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a possibility that in the future we will see a different business model within the higher education sector: institutions that make course material available free, but to receive the award, students must pay to be assessed. Ultimately this is what students are paying for, a statement from a reputable institution saying they have achieved a certain level of education. This would really make assessment important, but doesn't assessment drive learning anyway - think about the first thing you do when you start a course... look at what you have to do to pass! Teachers would have to be very thoughtful about how their assessment allows all types of students to demonstrate their skills and knowledge. Not sure yet if this is a good or bad direction... but I do like the idea that knowledge and education is no longer barricaded behind sandstone walls!
I think I could handle a free university with 'PAID' assessments. In fact you might learn more if course materials are not limited by training package guidelines and institute budgets. Perhaps a nationally recognised set of paid assessments for a particular subject would hold some weight and go towards a student obtaining a recognised qualification. The learning can really happen anywhere, as long as the assessment has structure and credibility.
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