Ready for a new direction in higher education? Stanford Engineering pioneered a series of free online classes this fall for an audience of thousands from around the world. Stanford professor of computer science Daphne Koller has this to say: “High-quality education is sorely lacking for people who have either financial or geographical limitations that prevent them from attending places like Stanford, MIT or Berkeley …. Making these technologies widely available is a huge opportunity for making the world a considerably better place.”
I’ve been working through the database class over the autumn quarter and have found it extremely rewarding. Check it out, work on your own time, forget about external pressures, and let your interest be your guide! You cannot get Stanford credit for completing any of these classes, but the material learned is invaluable. I’m looking forward to taking more classes this way in the future. Who knows, it may even go on my resume!
Check out these articles to learn more:
Stanford Engineering’s New Online Classes: Hugely Popular and Bursting with Activity
Stanford Engineering professors reinventing online education