The University of the People
In a pretty amazing PR coup an Israeli entrepreneur, Shai Resef, managed to get worldwide publicity including notably in the New York Times, for his new education based start-up the University of the People. The article makes some grand claims and glosses over the fact that the plans are mainly speculative at the moment as nothing has really launched and there remain many hurdles to overcome (not least the issue of assessment and accreditation).
The growth of the open learning is undoubted (with the UKs own Open University a leading player with initiatives like OpenLearn and its iTunesU content) but despite the claims in the article I believe peer-to-peer learning remains unproven in many ways (though I do believe it is a useful concept and one that will only become more popular over time) and the reliance of a mish-mash of retired professors, MA level students and volunteers as a kind of virtual faculty does not sound hugely thought out as yet (though there is probably a workable solution in there somewhere) .
Mr Resef does have a history of running successful education themed web businesses, including his current start-up Cramster.com an online homework support network, so he well placed to have the skills and contacts to make this happen.
I’ll be watching this one closely as its an idea I’m really interested in and I think there is a business to be built around the rise in open education that also widens access to higher education, I’m just not quite sure this is it yet.
I am not sure if I understand you correctly so if I interpreted you wrong I apologize, but to say that MA students and volunteers as a virtual faculty is not thought out does not make sense to me. You failed to state that all the volunteers would be wither acting or retired college professors, and MA students already teach classes at accredited colleges. I believe that the UoP learning model is very similar to other accredited online colleges, the big difference comes from the Cost to enroll. It is frustrating as a student to see so many people already downplaying the importance of a program like this. With student loans well over $10000, I am not sure I am getting what I am paying as the interest on those loans will eventually make me owe mare than triple the original cost and I may very well be paying those loans off for the rest of my life. If we support a program like this, which seems to me to be legitimate, there is a chance that when my son is old enough, he may actually be able to have a truly free education. That is something that especially in these tough economic times gets me very excited about the possibilities of the future for my children. We have to start somewhere, and even though You state that there may be a business to be built aroud open education in the future, I say it is possible now, and it couldn't be more obvious than it is now with UoP. With a little more support and a little less criticism, that future you talk about could actually happen sooner than you think.
Sincerely,
Josh Thomas