A stay-at-home mom in Maine. A physics teacher in an under-supplied school in Quito, Ecuador. A food-service-supply salesman in Lancaster, laid up for months with little to do after a hang-gliding accident. And two out-of-work West Philadelphia men looking to take an intellectual journey from their living room.
They are among millions around the world who have been attracted to Yale University's free courses on the Web, complete with audio and video lectures, syllabi, and supplementary materials.
"It was such a great thing to me," said Steve Ziegler, 40, of Lancaster, who during his recovery watched Ivy League English-class lectures on Cormac McCarthy's novel Blood Meridian, which quickly became one of his favorite books. "I was able to get more out of something that I love because Yale put these courses online."
More universities, including several in the Philadelphia region, are beginning to upload full-length, free courses through iTunes, YouTube, and the international consortium site OpenCourseWare.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Number of free, noncredit courses on Web increasing
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:
