Daphne Koller, in her Ted Talk, calls for the best college courses from the top universities to be available online for free. Her movement currently has 43 courses and 640,000 students from 190 countries.
Two points that are worthy of discussion in the CS855 Think Tank:
1. Online education can be made more effective than face-to-face education by using technological solutions to require student interactions with the curriculum.
2. Should educational content be provided online for free? What would that mean for our educational economies?
Ted Talk: Daphne Koller: What we're learning from online education
June 2012
Watch the Video at Ted.com.
Two forces that greatly impact Koller's vision are educational and technological.
Educational. The Educational force can be viewed two ways in regards to Daphne Koller's Ted Talk message. First, the educational force is an entire industry with policies, politics, and money. There are likely to be many organizations and powerful individuals that stand in the way of drastic change to the educational system, especially if it results in loss revenue. The second view is how Koller's message impacts the educational force. If her vision is realized, the educational industry will be significantly changed.
Technological. The technological force will serve as an enabler for Koller's vision. New technology does not need to be created or developed. The need for technology to support Koller's vision is great but not something that does not already exist.
Daphne Koller's view of the educational landscape is that it should truly be free. A world where higher education is free is apt, in my opinion, to have the following results:
Positive
1. Provide educational opportunities to people that would not have otherwise had an education.
2. Provide better options for students regarding content.
3. Ensuring students are able to have access to the very best education.
Perceived Negative
1. Education, like many free things, will not be as valued as it currently is.
2. Less variety in educational content delivery.
3. Perception of censorship regarding educational content.
Hi Ed, your blog posts are enjoyable to read. I miss the Futuring class where ideas abound. Three pieces of literature were cited in Koller's talk that formed some of the theoretical foundation for the course format. MOOCs are causing quite the disruption in higher education. The social dimension is still unclear within the really large MOOCs. It is nice to see that Benjamin Bloom is still foundational in terms of his advocacy for tutoring. I am looking forward to your future posts. Thanks for sharing.
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