Learning is free!

As people find new ways to access high quality curriculum (aside from that delivered at school) there is no doubt that the internet and its endless amount of information has had a profound effect on the ability of people to experience learning anytime, anywhere.  For the most part, that learning has been somewhat unorganized, perhaps even haphazard as people surfed the web looking for items of interest.  Now, however, more formalized courses are available.  Certainly, online courseware and virtual schools and academies have popped up at the k-12 level, but little had occurred at the university level.  Until last year.  Once available to only the very talented, the curriculum at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, through a program called OpenCourseWare, is open to everyone for free.  Interested people can access lecture notes, readings, tests, and other video postings.  Read an Associated Press article about MIT program here or visit MIT here.