Friday, December 30, 2011

MITx

MIT launches online learning initiative


MIT announced the launch of an online learning initiative internally called “MITx.” MITx will offer a portfolio of MIT courses through an online interactive learning platform


M.I.T. Expands Its Free Online Courses @ NYTimes

Here is one interpretation, by Forbes

M.I.T. Simmons Hall

...online learning initiative called M.I.T.x,which will offer the online teaching of M.I.T. courses free of charge to anyone in the world.

The program will not allow students to earn an M.I.T. degree. Instead, those who are able to exhibit a mastery of the subjects taught on the platform will receive an official certificate of completion. The certificate will obviously not carry the weight of a traditional M.I.T. diploma, but it will provide an incentive to finish the online material. According to the New York Times, in order to prevent confusion, the certificate will be a credential bearing the distinct name of a new not-for-profit body that will be created within M.I.T....

According to the New York Times, access to the software will be free. However, there will
most likely be an “affordable” charge, not yet determined, for a credential...
...
university doesn’t plan to launch a prototype of the platform until the spring of 2012