More universities sign on to free online course initiative

By Alison Moodie. A slew of new online course offerings from some of America’s most prestigious universities could change the higher education landscape. Elite institutions like Harvard and Stanford have rolled out multimillion-dollar initiatives that allow anyone in the world to access their courses, free of charge.
At Stanford, two computer science professors have created an online learning platform called Coursera, which offers courses from top universities in the US and Canada. Launched in April, the classes are available for free to anyone in the world with internet access.
In a similar fashion, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has teamed up with Harvard to launch edX, a US$60 million online education hub that will include video lessons, online laboratories and opportunities for immediate feedback from professors. The initiative, which will launch in the autumn, aims to build a global community of learners and provide high quality education to everyone.