The Future of Education Is Now
Monday Dec 31, 2007
I remember hearing Jonathan talk about how the educational materials that we (Sun Learning Services) create should be free to those who want to learn about our products and services. He believes that free and open access to education will lead to brand awareness and adoption.
It seems like the major American universities also agree. Yale has created the Open Yale University and is broadcasting introductory courses in philosophy, English, physics, etc., taught by distinguished professors and scholars. The aim is to allow access to educational material for all who want to learn.
Yale's Open University provides a clean, simple user interface with easy access to video lectures, downloadable resources, and exercises. You can sit it on the same courses that undergraduates and graduates at Yale are now taking. Sure, to earn an actual degree you must enroll and pay for the coursework :).
iTunes has even gotten into the game with iTunesU where educators and universities are uploading podcasts of course material for free consumption.
Sun may become one of the first major corporations to advocate the open-sourcing of all its educational materials to those interested in consuming it. This is the future of a truly educated society, and it's happening now.






