IP: MIT OpenCourseWare misrepresented

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

>Date:         Wed, 09 May 2001 03:07:01 EDT
>From: Rich Wiggins <wiggins@msu.edu>
>Subject:      MIT OpenCourseWare misrepresented
>To: David Farber <dave@farber.net>
>cc: Dr Galler <galler@g.imap.itd.umich.edu>
>
>
>Unfortunately, Gary Chapman's note in passing about MIT's
>OpenCourseWare initiative misrepresents what it is all about.
>MIT did not make an announcement about "Web-based courses."
>They announced that Web-based supporting materials for
>conventional courses will be freely available.  MIT
>OpenCourseWare is NOT distance education.
>
>This may seem like a minor distinction, but in fact it is
>a huge one.  MIT is not launching a new University of Phoenix.
>Their president, championing the OpenCourseWare initiative,
>says that the on-campus classroom/lab experience at MIT is still
>vital to an MIT education.  This is about exposing the MIT
>curriculum, and details about MIT courses, to the world.
>It does not expose the courses themselves to the world.
>
>The MIT announcement may be very profound, or it may not.
>Many professors at many universities do post their syllabi,
>Powerpoint slides, homework assignments, etc freely on the
>Web.  It's virtual courses that are protected.  MIT has
>announced a university-wide initiative to provide what
>is informally available at most universities already.
>As such, materials may be better organized and more complete,
>but not necessarily different than what's at other schools.
>
>MIT cites a "consensus" of support for OpenCourseWare.  Some
>argue that by exposing informal lecture notes in a world
>where others offer slickly-prepared virtual courses, that
>MIT will make itself look poor by comparison.  There are
>dissenters at MIT.  For details, see:
>
>http://www.infotoday.com/newsbreaks/nb010423-1.htm
>
>/rich
>
>
> >> >DIGITAL NATION
> >> >
> >> >Thursday, May 3, 2001
> >> >
> >> >Paying for Net Foils "Public Space" Idea
> >> >
> >> >By Gary Chapman
> >> >
> >> >Copyright 2001, The Los Angeles Times, All Rights Reserved
> >> >
>
>..
>
> >> >
> >> >A similar rationale was behind a dramatic decision by officials at
> >> >the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who announced last month
> >> >that the university will offer nearly all its Web-based courses for
> >> >free. This decision threw other universities--many of which were
> >> >looking to distance education as a new source of revenue--into an
> >> >entirely different position.
> >> >



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