11–17 of 17 posts
Not true. For the "modest fee" they'll give an MITx certificate. The FAQ clearly states this: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/mitx-faq-1219
"...operate on an open-source, scalable software infrastructure in order to make it continuously improving and readily available to other educational institutions."
In my opinion, today's course management systems go from pretty bad to worse. In using blackboard, moodle, and another platform called itslearning, these platforms suffer from major usability issues. I'm really looking forward to using a CMS I don't hate, students don't mind using, and which man be can modified at an institutional level. This could I think be the part of this announcement that has the biggest impact: helping to make online learning easier for everyone at a variety of institutions across the globe.
"[...]it appears from the FAQ page that it will be possible to undertake the open course and then pay a “modest” fee to demonstrate mastery of the subject matter and be credentialled with an MIT award." Not true. For the "modest fee" they'll give an MITx certificate. The FAQ clearly states this: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/mitx-faq-1219
Interesting that (from the MITx FAQ) they will provide the classes free of charge but will charge for certification. Has a thread of similarity to an open-source business model. :)
Very interesting. This is potentially one of the most disruptive moves I've seen come out of a university in a long time. The size of impact that this has on higher education is fully dependent upon how successful their credentialing scheme is implemented and executed. Very curious to see how this unfolds.
If you're crediting MIT in your comment, then I feel your credit is misplaced. MIT is reacting to Stanford successfully completing a semester of a very similar initiative. MIT's initiative is incredibly generous, and looks awesome, but I think it's reactionary to Stanford's ___-class.org work.
I just hope that other schools start moving in this direction and perhaps some standards or at least conventions start to take shape.
For example: it would be useful if there were tagged video classes and materials so that if I am confused by the presentation by one lecturer I could look up a lecture on the same topic by someone else. I find that seeing a topic from a slightly different perspective is enormously helpful.
Very interesting. This is potentially one of the most disruptive moves I've seen come out of a university in a long time. The size of impact that this has on higher education is fully dependent upon how successful their credentialing scheme is implemented and executed. Very curious to see how this unfolds.
If you're crediting MIT in your comment, then I feel your credit is misplaced. MIT is reacting to Stanford successfully completing a semester of a very similar initiative. MIT's initiative is incredibly generous, and looks awesome, but I think it's reactionary to Stanford's ___-class.org work.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you're crediting MIT in your comment, then I feel your credit is misplaced. MIT is reacting to Stanford successfully completing a semester of a very similar initiative. MIT's initiative is incredibly generous, and looks awesome, but I think it's reactionary to Stanford's ___-class.org work.
This seems like a natural extension of MIT's OCW which has been going for 10 years now. It may be influenced by Stanford's recent clases, but "reactionary" is a bit of a stretch. MIT has been giving away free classes online for a long time, adding credentials seems like an obvious extension of that, and one that would have likely happened regardless of what Stanford does.
Naturally they have to be very cautious of how they market and execute on any alternative credentialing system, both due to the new system being in competition with the traditional, and to ensure the branding will (or can) not tarnish their name.