During the month of September,
- Two tuition free universities were launched: Peer-to-Peer University and the University of the People
- A massively online course (Connectivism and Connective Knowledge 2009) opened its virtual doors for the second year in a row for anyone interested in participating (massive = hundreds of learners)
- EC&I 831: Social Media & Open Education also opened it’s virtual doors to anyone who wishes to participate: more than 180 people have so far signed up.
- Harvard University announced a tuition-free Doctor of Education Leadership program.
- Talis announced angel funding for projects relating to open education
- ….[and it’s only September 15th]…
- [update 1: Sept. 15] Five US universities have pledged support to openness by figuring out ways “to pay open access journals for the articles they publish by the institutions’ scholars”
Can you see a trend?
Lisa Harris
Indeed. And two articles about the end of universites as we know them in my twitterfeed in the past two hours – 1) http://app.businessweek.com/UserComments/combo_review?action=all&style=wide&productId=47667&productCode=spec (Business Week) and 2) http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Colleges-Will-Be-Torn-Apart/8035/ (Chronicle of HE)
Actually, what they both focus on is the tenure system and the teaching function in Universities, rather than the inisitutions in their entirity – but “adapt or die” is the clear message.