By Craig Savage, the Conversation (Australia)
Universities are traditionally seen as exclusive institutions for the few, not the many. But that is changing as a new wave of online courses throws open the doors of academia to all. Led by world renowned American institutions like MIT and Harvard, this push to democratise learning is being taken up in Australia too. In contrast to traditional higher education, which closes learning off from the world, open learning is transparent and accessible to anyone with internet access. Such openness could do a lot to improve standards at universities whose business models are driven by bums on seats, rather than mastery of a given subject. It might also lift the morale of academia. Academics who are in control of what they teach, and who teach students who seek them out, may regain their professional freedom.
http://theconversation.edu.au/digital-dawn-open-online-learning-is-just-beginning-7758
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