Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Number of free, noncredit courses on Web increasing | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/12/2010


Number of free, noncredit courses on Web increasing | Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/12/2010:

"A stay-at-home mom in Maine. A physics teacher in an under-supplied school in Quito, Ecuador. A food-service-supply salesman in Lancaster, laid up for months with little to do after a hang-gliding accident. And two out-of-work West Philadelphia men looking to take an intellectual journey from their living room.

They are among millions around the world who have been attracted to Yale University's free courses on the Web, complete with audio and video lectures, syllabi, and supplementary materials.

'It was such a great thing to me,' said Steve Ziegler, 40, of Lancaster, who during his recovery watched Ivy League English-class lectures on Cormac McCarthy's novel Blood Meridian, which quickly became one of his favorite books. 'I was able to get more out of something that I love because Yale put these courses online.'"