A Step Further: Opening Books And Educational Resources

摘要

The ground-breaking launch of MIT's Open Course-Ware initiative in 2002 marked a major shift in the paradigm of restricted access to academic materials. MIT decided to open its ～1800 courses to the general public, allowing free usage of course materials, syllabi, exercises, presentations and lecture notes for anyone who wishes to. Faculty members were encouraged to publish their study materials, and with a clever design and a sophisticated portal, achieved rapid publication and dissemination of course materials on-line. This new "Open Course-Ware" term sent a huge shock wave throughout the higher-education establishment. And indeed, after this daring endeavor, other American universities followed suit with conceptually similar projects. The Open Learning Initiative of the Carnegie Mellon University enables users to choose from a variety of topics and disciplines they like and enjoy a wealth of study materials, tutorials, virtual laboratories and other learning objects. The aim is to facilitate excellence in higher education through the use of assessment and evaluation, with frequent and constructive feedbacks. The project does not offer a degree since users are not enrolled and do not get academic credit. It offers faculty members an exposure of their learning materials to a global audience.