Hacker News Reader

Comment by pavs | Hacker News Reader

Free online accredited college/school is an idea up for grabs and needs to happen.

Monetization could be paying for the exams (fixed price per course as opposed to per credit) and a single "sponsor" per course where the sponsor pays for the cost_of_making_the_course + $x for the ability to be a "sponsor" of that said course for first year.

ie, MS/Apple/Google sponsoring CS related courses. Where they sign contract stating to not have any influence on study materials.

Exams on brick and mortar exam halls (rent rooms in traditional colleges?).

The only problem I can see for this kind of online only college is for some courses where you actually need hands-on lab experience.

Possible?

View on HN

The only problem I can see for this kind of online only college is for some courses where you actually need hands-on lab experience.

My advisor, Dr. Thad Starner, taught CS 3651 (http://www.cc.gatech.edu/classes/AY2010/cs3651_spring/) this past Spring. I was the TA. This class is designed to teach CS students how to build physical devices. The tagline is "just enough electrical and mechanical engineering to make you dangerous".

Given the time constraints of the 1 hr class, Thad decided that the best way to really get students building was to do most of his lectures outside of class and every day was a "lab" day. Basically students knew what they were going to have to build, knew the math needed to calculate resistor/capacitor values but didn't know what random parts Thad would show up with. Then the whole class period was Thad and I helping students build.

It was a great experience and he's going to make the videos a more official part of the class.

I was thinking more in the line of Chemistry/Biology/ labs. Are't labs absolutely essential to be a major in those subjects?

Yes. I think that brick and mortar institutes could follow the lead if open courseware but then have places for labs. Accessible videos gives students more time to prep outside of class, at their leisure, and more one on one time with instructors during time than normally would be filled with banal lecture.

If you have to pay for exams then how is it free ? - there's already a wide range of course material on-line available for free. The material isn't the issue.

The material is free, but if you want the paper...

The cost of hosting exams in a rented place has to come from someplace. I was thinking more in the line of having a "structured" course, with syllabus, study materials, quiz/test and even free e-books. Not bits and pieces of video and texts randomly sprinkled all over the web.

The idea is to be an actual replacement of a brick and mortar college where anyone can give an exam anytime they want when they feel ready, instead of being forced to go through months of "learning". If you fail a course exam, you can give the exam again next week (albiet different questionnaires).

Other ideas:

- FAQ sections where students can send in questions on each course which can be answered in the form of video/text. Have enough of those over time and it replaces the need to have one-on-one interactions with instructors with questions.

- Add social aspect to the "online school" where students can see if there are others in his area studying or have passed the same course that he/she can meet up for a study group.

- Online forums, Chat (moderated) on each courses with instant feedback.

- Let companies/individuals/employer "sponsor" each course/major. Lets say each exam costs $100-$200, Google/MS can give away 100 free exams to encourage people to study computer science.

- All materials is open for everyone to see, read, study, participate. Students only pay for exams.

Just brainstorming.... We can dream, right? :)

check out www.nixty.com -- we are dreaming too (and building)!

looks good. keep it up man. whatever to help people get a decent education.

Thanks! I appreciate the encouragement.

> Have enough of those over time and it replaces the need to have one-on-one interactions with instructors with questions.

As a teacher, I may have a vested interest in your being wrong; but I think that 'replaces' should be 'reduces' here.

:) My idea is not to replace traditional college, and I am pretty sure some people will always require one in one interaction to be able to learn. My hope is remove the barrier to higher education, the way things are right now anyone who wants to join college needs to invest lots of money and time. It should never be like this and anyone who is self-motivated should be able to have easy access and learn and finish college.

I'm sorry; I didn't mean that you couldn't replace the traditional college experience (I wouldn't want to try it, but I don't see any reason why someone with infinite time and money couldn't), but rather that I don't think any static FAQ, no matter how comprehensive, can replace the need for student–teacher interaction.

EDIT: Also, I whole-heartedly agree with your vision of universal accessibility of education.

but rather that I don't think any static FAQ, no matter how comprehensive, can replace the need for student–teacher interaction.

Good thing you pointed it out. I failed to explain myself better how I wanted the FAQ to work. It shouldn't be static, but rather the quality of the FAQ will get better as students/educators suggests ways to improve/amend existing questions and will be updated accordingly (think moderated wiki). Any single question doesn't need to have one answer, but can have different take on the same question from different people. It can be in the form of videos or Texts. As for the educational resources itself (which will be different from the FAQ) will be made by educators in their respective fields.

Thats the way I was thinking about it, but not the way it came out. Regardless, I agree with you that in-person education experience is unique that can-not be replaces by other means (as far as experience is concerned), but the quality can definitely be improved, when the education resources is fine-tuned for the experience of learning as opposed to the experience of an education institute and everything that comes with it.

I am serious about this and I want this to happen, I am currently working on proposals and fine-tuning my ideas/plans of action to get some funds going to start working on something rudimentary and get feedback on it. Keep your eyes open for me :).

Reply on news.ycombinator.com