Imagine a world where any room with an Internet connection could be transformed into a classroom.
Professors would lecture, administer homework and exams and guide students toward mastery of the subject from potentially thousands of miles away – extending the University’s influence far beyond the confines of the District.
To capitalize on these possibilities, the University should offer courses online for free.
Last Monday, Stanford University released two free online courses to the public. Enthusiasm for these free courses was tremendous – a week before the courses went live, 335,000 students enrolled. The courses harnessed technology to create an interactive classroom experience online; professors lectured, and enrolled students were quizzed periodically and received immediate feedback.
GW could make higher education available to anyone passionate about learning – not just those who can afford it. Democratizing knowledge should be a responsibility of the University.
Provost Steven Lerman told The Hatchet Feb. 13 that the University has no plans to offer these online classes because of the continued costs the University would have to shoulder to support the services.
“When we get large gifts or foundation support, I’d like to see us use it to improve the education of GW students who are working hard to earn a degree,” he said.
But I argue that free online education should be a priority at GW.
We pride ourselves on being an international university, but we are shutting out most of the world through the high cost of our education. To be a truly international campus would require GW to open its virtual doors to anyone with a computer.
There are indeed costs to maintaining these programs, but since the fees for uploading online content are low, and because professors could host these courses on a volunteer basis, the price is one worth footing.
And completion of courses wouldn’t give the students University credit. Rather, they would earn a certificate of accomplishment. This may not seem like much, but the simple knowledge of having earned a quality education has appealed to millions of users worldwide who have utilized the universities that offer courses like this.
And in making coursework or lectures available online, a degree doesn’t depreciate. If anything, the greater access to a GW education will bolster its value.
There are even cheaper alternatives, as well. A widely-used source for online courses called Udemy has begun an initiative called the Faculty Project where professors post free courses on the site.
Margaret Soltan, an English professor, was contacted by a Udemy associate several weeks ago and now has an 11-lecture series on poetry with more than 100 subscribers from around the world.
“My experience so far has been great. I look forward to every Saturday when I get to film my lecture,” Soltan said.
Why did an outside organization have to provide this course?
Professors such as Soltan are helping spread knowledge and open up the world of higher education but they should have the opportunity to do this under the GW banner.
The elite institutions are already launching their own versions of free online courses. It would be a shame for the University to be left behind.
Jacob Garber, a freshman majoring in English, is a Hatchet columnist.
