Universities to offer free online classes for credit

In an unusual arrangement with a commercial company, dozens of public universities plan to offer an introductory online course free and for credit to anyone worldwide, in the hope that those who pass will pay tuition fees to complete a degree programme, writes Tamar Lewin for The New York Times.

Harvard and MIT are going to offer free courses online, but not for credit. Why not? The universities – including Arizona State, the University of Cincinnati and the University of Arkansas system – will choose which of their existing online courses to convert to a massive open online course, or MOOC, in the new programme, called MOOC2Degree. If MOOC2Degree succeeds in attracting thousands of degree students, the new revenue stream could be a lifeline for public universities hit hard by declining financial support from states.

The proliferation of free online courses from top universities like Harvard and Stanford over the past year has prompted great interest in online learning. But those courses, so far, have generally not carried credit. “We’re taking the MOOC idea, but now it will be part of a degree programme, not a novelty,” said Randy Best, chair of Academic Partnerships, a company that helps public universities move their courses online.
Full report on The New York Times site