Share this Community | Post to Twitter Post to Twitter | Share on Facebook Share on Facebook
e-Teaching
Online Teaching : The e-Teaching Community
Created on: 02 July, 2009 Members: 34408 | Community Link: http://e-teaching.wiziq.com
RSS

Harvard and M.I.T. Team Up to Offer Free Online Courses

by Shyamsunder Panchavati
Posted on 11 May, 2012

Harvard and M.I.T. Team Up to Offer Free Online Courses



Is it an Evolution of education???

Or a revolution in mass education???

Will this increase the reach of the education beyond the greedy to the needy???

Does it mean setting up of new benchmark in Online imparting???

Will this scale up the standards of intellect, and imparting in poor and third world countries???

As always your views welcome...

Please read the article here

http://capacity-career.blogspot.in/2012/05/harvard-and-mit-team-up-to-offer-free.html

Best wishes,

Shyam

by Teacher Robert.com posted on 12 May, 2012
Free classes usually, not always, mean large class size. Paid classes tend to have fewer students, which is often desirable from a results-oriented standpoint, especially for language learning where individual attention, participation, and practice are essential. For language learning, there should be no more than 4 to 6 learners in a typical online class so that everyone gets the chance to speak with the teacher, who listens and gives feedback (even with "breakout rooms!").
by Marcus posted on 12 May, 2012
This is just their way of trying to dominate the academic world.  It's similar to Nike advertising.  I doubt any professor at MIT or Harvard will stop giving lectures in person (assuming they were required to before online education was started). 

Will it reach beyond the greedy?  Let's see if their tuition rates go down while maintaining the same quality of education.  The needy will get glimpses of the lectures, but probably not the whole package.  It will be like a teaser to a movie.  You will still need money.

On a more positive note, we don't need MIT or Harvard to come to Wiziq.  We are doing just fine as we are.
by Marcus posted on 13 May, 2012
"Already 120,000 people have registered for the courses worldwide"

How much is each student paying?
Are the teachers making the same?
Are the teachers ONLY teaching online?

It's one thing to parrot the numbers, but what does 120,000 mean? 
by Marcus posted on 13 May, 2012
"Everything is free for the students."

I highly doubt that.  Last I looked MIT and Harvard still charge tuition, http://web.mit.edu/facts/tuition.html

This means someone is paying for these "free" classes.

If they are donating $30 million as mentioned at http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/03/local/la-me-0503-harvard-online-20120503 are they also charging less for tuition?

Again, the point is, someone is paying.  I don't see the tuition costs going down.


by Marcus posted on 14 May, 2012
"which will open its doors to other Universities intending to impart free online education."

It's an outfit for them to conduct research.  It's free to lab rats.

"The motive of creation of Edex is to  take online education to the masses and keep it absolutely FREE"

Then, let's see a video of the BILLS.  Students are still paying tuition to attend the school live, not online.  Online education will be dependent on the agendas of the departments involved.  I highly doubt there is a core curriculum which competes adequately with degree seeking students.  This free label is just tool to get you guys hooked.

There is nothing wrong with learning something for free, but realize how far it will actually get you before you become so gung ho about it.
by Stephen Duplantier posted on 14 May, 2012
This may seem like a free gift from famous, rich American universities, but it comes with a hidden price. Education, unless it comes from the bottom up, as suggested by the work of Paulo Friere, is nothing but more imperialism.
by Tunde Usman Nurudeen SULE posted on 12 May, 2012
I believed that the third world country will gain alot from MIT training. with the new trend of online learning

by LOU THARP posted on 22 May, 2012
I am a total believer in worldwide FREE education.  This is just a start point.  My own alma mater, Yale University, is also offering a series of free online courses.   See www.AcademicEarth.org to review over 1500 such courses.  The next step will be for someone to combine all of these courses into a single curriculum offered by a newly created university.  I foresee Facebook University,  or Gates Free University, or something similar, sponsored by major philanthropists.   Then proctored examinations, and ACCREDITATION.  Someday you will see such a university with over a million students.   I will go one step further.  I predict that in 20 years, it will not only be the biggest university in the world - but also the BEST.  I am absolutely sure that it is possible to create online courses that are superior to anything that any professor can offer in within the confines of a brick and mortar classroom.   I was Director of Online Learning in Malaysia ten years ago and we created some such courses even then.  The newer technological tools available today make so much easier today.  This will surely happen.  The only question is how soon.  Education is as necessary as air - and should surely be free to all. 
by Shyamsunder Panchavati posted on 14 May, 2012
@Stephen Duplantier Imperialism is not a word that should be associated with an innocent and holy activity like education. Satan also needs a pat on back when he does something good.And that is the only reason I am promoting this.I am not sold to American Capitalism or Imperialism.

We in India are great believers of  Paulo Friere  and his "Pedagogy of the Oppressed". We in India have worked our economics from the base level in the rural India down from the rural masses through agriculture and cottage Industries made it one of the fastest growing economies in the world. I am happy to quote  Paulo Friere  on education.

“Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world." 

In spite of my socialistic beliefs, I still feel that "Edex" is the best that has happened to the poor and needy of third world.
 Share this Community | Post to Twitter Post to Twitter | Share on Facebook Share on Facebook
e-Teaching
Online Teaching : The e-Teaching Community
Created on: 02 July, 2009Members: 33097 | Community Link: http://e-teaching.wiziq.com

Harvard and M.I.T. Team Up to Offer Free Online Courses

by Shyamsunder Panchavati Panchavati
Posted on 11 May, 2012

Harvard and M.I.T. Team Up to Offer Free Online Courses



Is it an Evolution of education???

Or a revolution in mass education???

Will this increase the reach of the education beyond the greedy to the needy???

Does it mean setting up of new benchmark in Online imparting???

Will this scale up the standards of intellect, and imparting in poor and third world countries???

As always your views welcome...

Please read the article here

http://capacity-career.blogspot.in/2012/05/harvard-and-mit-team-up-to-offer-free.html

Best wishes,

Shyam

by Teacher Robert.com posted on 12 May, 2012
Free classes usually, not always, mean large class size. Paid classes tend to have fewer students, which is often desirable from a results-oriented standpoint, especially for language learning where individual attention, participation, and practice are essential. For language learning, there should be no more than 4 to 6 learners in a typical online class so that everyone gets the chance to speak with the teacher, who listens and gives feedback (even with "breakout rooms!").
by Marcus posted on 12 May, 2012
This is just their way of trying to dominate the academic world.  It's similar to Nike advertising.  I doubt any professor at MIT or Harvard will stop giving lectures in person (assuming they were required to before online education was started).  

Will it reach beyond the greedy?  Let's see if their tuition rates go down while maintaining the same quality of education.  The needy will get glimpses of the lectures, but probably not the whole package.  It will be like a teaser to a movie.  You will still need money.

On a more positive note, we don't need MIT or Harvard to come to Wiziq.  We are doing just fine as we are.
by Marcus posted on 13 May, 2012
"Already 120,000 people have registered for the courses worldwide"

How much is each student paying?
Are the teachers making the same?
Are the teachers ONLY teaching online?

It's one thing to parrot the numbers, but what does 120,000 mean?  
by Marcus posted on 13 May, 2012
"Everything is free for the students."

I highly doubt that.  Last I looked MIT and Harvard still charge tuition, http://web.mit.edu/facts/tuition.html

This means someone is paying for these "free" classes.

If they are donating $30 million as mentioned at http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/03/local/la-me-0503-harvard-online-20120503 are they also charging less for tuition?

Again, the point is, someone is paying.  I don't see the tuition costs going down.


by Marcus posted on 14 May, 2012
"which will open its doors to other Universities intending to impart free online education."

It's an outfit for them to conduct research.  It's free to lab rats.

"The motive of creation of Edex is to  take online education to the masses and keep it absolutely FREE"

Then, let's see a video of the BILLS.  Students are still paying tuition to attend the school live, not online.  Online education will be dependent on the agendas of the departments involved.  I highly doubt there is a core curriculum which competes adequately with degree seeking students.  This free label is just tool to get you guys hooked.

There is nothing wrong with learning something for free, but realize how far it will actually get you before you become so gung ho about it.
by Stephen Duplantier posted on 14 May, 2012
This may seem like a free gift from famous, rich American universities, but it comes with a hidden price. Education, unless it comes from the bottom up, as suggested by the work of Paulo Friere, is nothing but more imperialism.
by Tunde Usman Nurudeen SULE posted on 12 May, 2012
I believed that the third world country will gain alot from MIT training. with the new trend of online learning

by Shyamsunder Panchavati Panchavati posted on 12 May, 2012 (Edit Reply)
I was surprised by the unusually sharp reaction to my discussion.

MIT and Harvard have been doing great service to Humankind since centuries.This is one more endeavor to take education to masses specially in the third world countries.Already 120,000 people have registered for the courses worldwide. MIT has been following open source education  system successfully for quite some time. More than 3,000 courses are planned in this project and it is absolutely free, quality being  the same that is delivered in the regular classes.

This is in no way related to Wiziq. Wiziq has already attained leadership position in its segment, and it will continue to lead and show way for other online  teaching platforms.


by Shyamsunder Panchavati Panchavati posted on 14 May, 2012 (Edit Reply)
Edex though formed through a collaboration of Harvard & MIT is an independent entity. which will open its doors to other Universities intending to impart free online education. Edex will find other sources to raise funds, in order to keep the imparting absolutely free.

You can view the video and listen to the speech of Anant Agarwal, the President of Edex.


The motive of creation of Edex is to  take online education to the masses and keep it absolutely FREE
by Shyamsunder Panchavati Panchavati posted on 13 May, 2012 (Edit Reply)
@Marcus. 

Everything is free for the students.

Teachers already enrolled in MIT & Harvard will take these classes.

Enrollment of 120,000 students in the first week of  of announcement is a good number and it is increasing by day.

Tunde Usman Nurudeen SULE  Yes the third world will benefit immensely, more importantly in the quality of education, as nectar of knowledge and wisdom flows from these great temples of education MIT & Harvard.Coming together of these two is an event to celebrate globally. 


Reply to this Topic:
PreviewSub
by Shyamsunder Panchavati posted on 12 May, 2012
I was surprised by the unusually sharp reaction to my discussion.

MIT and Harvard have been doing great service to Humankind since centuries.This is one more endeavor to take education to masses specially in the third world countries.Already 120,000 people have registered for the courses worldwide. MIT has been following open source education  system successfully for quite some time. More than 3,000 courses are planned in this project and it is absolutely free, quality being  the same that is delivered in the regular classes.

This is in no way related to Wiziq. Wiziq has already attained leadership position in its segment, and it will continue to lead and show way for other online  teaching platforms.


by Shyamsunder Panchavati posted on 14 May, 2012
Edex though formed through a collaboration of Harvard & MIT is an independent entity. which will open its doors to other Universities intending to impart free online education. Edex will find other sources to raise funds, in order to keep the imparting absolutely free.

You can view the video and listen to the speech of Anant Agarwal, the President of Edex.


The motive of creation of Edex is to  take online education to the masses and keep it absolutely FREE
by Shyamsunder Panchavati posted on 13 May, 2012
@Marcus. 

Everything is free for the students.

Teachers already enrolled in MIT & Harvard will take these classes.

Enrollment of 120,000 students in the first week of  of announcement is a good number and it is increasing by day.

Tunde Usman Nurudeen SULE  Yes the third world will benefit immensely, more importantly in the quality of education, as nectar of knowledge and wisdom flows from these great temples of education MIT & Harvard.Coming together of these two is an event to celebrate globally. 


Would you like to Reply:
Sign Up, or  Sign In (if you are existing member) to join this community!

See Virtual Classroom in action

Get a hands-on look at how WizIQ Virtual Classroom works.

Try Virtual Classroom Now

Request a free demo

Recent Discussions

murali velayudhan menon SAMPLING PRB NEED HELP by murali velayudhan menon
posted 2 months ago |0 Comments

Randy Brown Are there any basketball coaches on the WizIQ community? by Randy Brown
posted 1 month ago |4 Comments

Dinkar_Test How to Teach by Dinkar_Test
posted 2 months ago |2 Comments