M.I.T., which pioneered the trend of offering video course content over the internet free to anyone in the world with its OpenCourseWare (OCW) program (a trend since followed by a number of other prominent universities), has upped the ante.
The Cambridge, MA based university is set to announce on Monday the launch of a new interactive program called M.I.T.x. Based on the OpenCourseWare model, the new program will enable students to watch lectures and interact online with others who are taking virtual classes.
The university will begin testing and granting “certificates” of course completion for those who show mastery of subject matter.
The university has no plans to grant degrees through the program at this time. Nevertheless, offering a certificate-style credential represents a first among prestigious universities that offer open source course content online.
“M.I.T. has long believed that anyone in the world with the motivation and ability to engage M.I.T. coursework should have the opportunity to attain the best M.I.T.-based educational experience that Internet technology enables,” M.I.T. President Susan Hockfield explained in a university press release.
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