We've seen the threads related to the Harvard ALM program that's offered through the Extension school but I don't remember seeing any mention of Harvard At Home. The March-April issue of Harvard Magazine says, "Harvard@Home offers desktop access to a wide range of intellectual happenings throughout the University. The programs, which range in length from 10 minutes to three hours, are free and available to the public." They include such topics as, GeneticallyModified Foods Astrological Mapping Evolutionary Dynamics The Theory of Hyper-Encryption Libraries of the Future The Dalai Lamas visit to Harvard The Recovery of the Lost Bach Manuscripts and a whole bunch of others. I haven't watched any yet but it seems to be a catalog of streaming videos of various lectures and events. You can even watch the taped Hasty Pudding Awards It's all here: http://athome.harvard.edu Jack (btw, it's all for self-enrichment, not for credit.)
Similar site at MIT, covering a wide range of topics: http://mitworld.mit.edu/. I've watched several of these videos. For the independent learner or the DL-minded, there's some very interesting stuff in there concerning the evolution of MIT's OpenCourseWare, and the future implementation (or not) of distance learning at MIT. Stanford has Web video available, too, but I don't have a link handy. If I find it later I will post it.
Hmmmm... wonder if adding any of those at home programs on a resume would be a valid option under "Additional Education"? Since I'm working in healthcare, it's possible these may boost my so-called image. Thanks for the links! They programs look interesting even if they aren't traditional courses.
quote This is, in my view, is a welcome development. Many US state-supported schools and highly selective private colleges and universities are taking the plunge into some variant of distance learning or internet-based instruction. The criticality of this DL penetration as a benefit for residents of rural/remote areas and economically-challenged urban centers in much-developed nations, as well as denizens of many less-developed and developing countries, is, if properly done within a framework of legitimate, properly supervised, high-quality oversight, is without question, to the benefit of mankind. These DL offerings are often provided by reputable, accreditted and high-quality institutions as certificate-only courses, non-credit courses, non-degree granting and, mostly, non-profit making activities, as opposed to some unaccredited entities and outright scams which are desperately trying to profit, or are profitting, from similar pedagogies. A few selected examples: MIT: "..... With 900 courses published as of September 2004" http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html Yale/Oxford/Princeton/Stanford: "Yale, Oxford, Princeton and Stanford universities are each providing $3 million to launch a "distance learning" venture to provide on-line courses in the arts and sciences to their combined 500,000 alumni." http://www.yale.edu/opa/v29.n5/story1.html Dartmouth University/Medical School: "Hanover, NH-The program office of the New Hampshire AHEC learned today that it will receive support from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program to purchase interactive videoconferencing equipment for nine sites in rural New Hampshire. " http://dms.dartmouth.edu/news/2000/27sept2000_ahec.shtml Columbia University: "Columbia Video Network Is Among Top Distance Learning Programs; Named 'Best of the Web' by Forbes" http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/02/09/cvn_wins_forbes.html Brown University: "In the past several months, it has become nearly impossible to open an issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education or the Wall Street Journal without encountering a new, or newly expanded, distance learning venture." http://www.brown.edu/Administration/Provost/newtech.html Cornell University: "These courses may include a Web-based component, video tapes, and/or CD-ROMs. Students interact with the instructor and other students by phone or e-mail. Most assignments and examinations are completed within a scheduled time frame, just as in on-campus courses, but students have the option of getting a head start on readings and lectures." http://www.sce.cornell.edu/dl/ It is my fervent hope that the penetration of legitimate, high-quality institutions and programs into the DL arena will doom the outlook for the spurious and unaccredited entities and diploma mills out there. I wish! (... yes, I know, wishful thinking on my part, but I can dream, can't I? shouldn't you?). Thanks.
Thanks for an excellent post regarding alternative resources for students seeking DL education. I recently completed one of Cornell's DL programs and have a nice certificate for the collection! Thanks to this Website I learned about Columbia's DL in Engineering certificates leading to a MS in Eng down the road. I may start that next! Great post! Morgan
You are very welcome, Morgan! Wish you all the best! (And .... let's hear the penetrating and invigorating trumpets and clashing cymbals ..... a big "Welcome to Degreeinfo"). Thanks.
