Education, freely shared

Thanks to my friend Rick for pointing me towards this amazing site!

MIT Open Courseware (OCW)
http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

This is a completely free resource of full courses designed for the independent learner based off of real MIT courses. Included in each course are all the resources you need to complete the course via independent study. Of course, this is done without receiving any official academic credit. But their willingness to FREELY share this education is very laudable! They have over 2000 available courses in virtually every area of study.

I'll definitely be using this amazing resource to help me put together my next "semester."

I think it says a lot about the institution that they acknowledge the need for this program to exist in the first place. The University of Pennsylvania said that their auditor's program is designed for the "intellectually curious," but they seem to limit it those who are also fiscally well endowed. MIT has put together all this material for those who want to learn, regardless of their financial situation. I think it demonstrates an understanding that not all learning needs academic credit or a certificate or diploma in order to be useful. Sometimes it is merely enriching to the individual. And that knowledge should be shared to anyone who is willing to learn, because this will enrich our entire world community.

Bravo, MIT!

Now if we got other educational institutions and the government to also understand the value of education, perhaps they would find a way to make it more readily accessible to everyone (who is capable of completing the material and who is willing to do the work.) Can you imagine how productive our society could be if everyone had access to structured, higher education?

I am jealous of a girlfriend of mine who is from Berlin, Germany. She pays the equivalent of $500USD per semester for her education, and she is free to complete not only her bachelors but also continue at the same cost on to any graduate work she wishes to pursue. As long as you demonstrate ability (I believe you have to achieve certain grades in high school, and pass certain standardized tests similar to the SATs here) you can be rewarded with the opportunity to have a higher education. Not only that, but according to her they provide all students with a housing/living expenses stipend and free public transportation.

I admit, I don't know the structure of Germany's taxes and their economy in general, and from my understanding income tax is somewhere in the neighborhood of 50% for some people. So, the education does not come without a price. The system may not be perfect, but I'm still jealous of her opportunity.

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