A recent article by Time tells us a trend in top universities: trying to get their best lectures out of the classroom and onto the web. Using sites such as YouTube, AcademicEarth.org, TED, and other educational portals, they are providing a free, quality service to citizens while simultaneously boosting their profits.
It doesn't come without a hefty price tag: thousands of dollars per lecture—but universities are finding it well worth it to upload some of their most effective lectures.
Take, for example, a rather energetic lecture on statistics. Hans Roslings debunks third world myths with stats that move more like planets over time. At the end, he argues the need for statistical data and design to be interlinked, making stats more comprehensible, universal, and fun. See the video here: Hans Rosling shows the best stats you've ever seen.
It's both surprising and predictable that this is happening now. In this age, we are seeing information becoming more accessible to the world than ever. But it's still a bit shocking that even Ivy League Schools would join in on this one—considering that their exclusivity is what drives their intellectual integrity and ultimately, new students.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
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