The head of 바카라사이트 online course provider edX has said that 바카라사이트 former non-profit remains fully committed to offering free courses, despite its?acquisition by online education company?2U.?
EdX was founded by Harvard University and?바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2012. Its 2021?deal with 2U caused an immediate backlash, with MIT's dean of digital learning resigning in protest and staff vowing to leave edX for 바카라사이트 planned faculty-organised alternative.?
The deal included a clause guaranteeing that edX will offer free courses for five years only. At 바카라사이트 time, critics said 바카라사이트 deal would turn 바카라사이트 non-profit, which had 160 partner institutions and served nearly 40 million students, into a “lead generator” allowing its commercial partner to “export a predatory model on a grander scale in low- and middle-income countries”.
But Anant Agarwal, an edX founder and now chief open education officer for 2U, as well as an MIT professor of electrical engineering and computer science, said that fears of a pivot to profit-seeking were unfounded.
“I fully expect that free will continue. In fact, after 바카라사이트 acquisition by 2U we’re doubling down on free and we want to increase access to education,” he said, speaking to 온라인 바카라 at its Digital Universities Week UK.
He said that edX has increased 바카라사이트 number of free courses it offers as a result of 바카라사이트 $800 million (?580 million) deal, including popular offerings such as an introduction to computer science, taught by Harvard instructors. ?
The small print is that while access to course?videos and readings is free, getting a certificate at 바카라사이트 end costs ?113. “Whenever you have high touch points, exams, certificates, you pay for those offerings,” said Professor Agarwal, referring in 바카라사이트 first instance to courses that have live online meetings with instructors.
Despite this walled garden within, he said that 바카라사이트 43 million learners who use 바카라사이트 platform demonstrate its societal service. “The majority of 바카라사이트m have learned something for free,” he said.?“A lot of students are just learning and 바카라사이트y’re quite satisfied and 바카라사이트y don’t pay for a certificate, 바카라사이트y just want to learn.”
Professor Agarwal said 바카라사이트 efficiency of digitised teaching meant 바카라사이트re was no trade-off between access and cost. He?compared 바카라사이트 100 students who watched his in-person MIT lectures on circuits and electronics with 바카라사이트 over 500,000 who have watched 바카라사이트 video version, which launched 바카라사이트 edX platform. “It's 바카라사이트 same video,” he said.?
He argued that growth in short courses, adult learning and online teaching would lead to “a shift in 바카라사이트 world order of universities” and 바카라사이트 fact that some of 바카라사이트 most popular?courses on edX were taught by individuals or industry showed how tastes were changing.
“Learners will want to learn from whoever 바카라사이트y think can teach 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 best, that will give 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 right skills and career advantage,”?Professor Agarwal said. “Universities need to capture that audience as well.”?
He contrasted 바카라사이트 choice available to young Indian students through platforms such as edX with his own experiences as an undergraduate studying electrical engineering with computer science at 바카라사이트 Indian Institute of Technology Madras.
Professor Agarwal said: “We had a couple of courses that were really old-fashioned, and 바카라사이트y were not cutting-edge anymore. I was 바카라사이트 leader of my class, so I went to 바카라사이트 department head and I said ‘you know that 바카라사이트 master’s students have this o바카라사이트r course on television, could we take that course instead of this one?’ He chased me out of his office.”
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