What exactly is MIT Opensourseware?

Just a curious question, what exactly is MIT opensourseware? What can you do with it? It seems interesting, but I'm not sure exactly what you can do with it.

 

You can learn things.:chairfall:

 

I understand that part, but you couldn't use it to get a job. You aren't actually earning a degree or anything.

 

You are correct again. Perhaps it might help you to pass a CLEP test.

 

It's kind of like the public library. Lots of useful knowledge available there for free, which is a good thing.

But you probably won't impress an employer by studying at the library for 4 years. In theory, you could learn a lot that way, but an employer will probably want some kind of proof -- like grades or a degree -- that you learned the material that you studied. The library won't provide that, and neither will MIT OpenCourseWare.

This doesn't mean that libraries or OpenCourseWare are useless. It just means that they don't serve the same function as a regular university.

 

CalDog is so much nicer than me today.

 

Forget I asked, delete the thread. I will be more careful in the future.

 

You asked a reasonable question.

One more use for opencourseware is to study up on a topic prior to taking a certification exam. For example one could learn the fundamentals of reliability prior to taking the ASQ Reliability Certification Exam.

Incidentally you might be interested in these videocourses offered by Annenberg. I took two television courses through a local CC using these courses (Govt and Astronomy).
Annenberg Learner

 

Thanks Ian, appreciate that. I was kinda being made fun of so I figured I did something stupid that I had no idea I had done. Thanks for the link also.

 

I'm in a bad mood today and so that's undeniably a factor, but if you asked a basic question and you already knew the answer then you can't be too surprised if someone concludes that you don't know even the basics. There was nothing said that wasn't true and there was nothing said about you personally.

 

I thought certificates of completion for some MOOCS were being accepted by some employers in certain fields? Perhaps IT? This doesn't apply to me or my field but I think I read this somewhere...

Of course some opencourseware sites like Saylor and Coursera are now seeking NCCRS or ACE approval for some of their courses which could be a game-changer in all this.

 

I read that some people who completed Udacity courses were offered jobs. Or was that Coursera?

 

Both -- here's an article on how both orgs make a bit of money from head-hunters, by leading them to suitable candidates. It appears that some people have got jobs this way through both Coursera and Udacity, which is also mentioned. The numbers are pretty small, so far.

http://gigaom.com/2012/12/05/online-ed-startup-coursera-moves-further-along-money-making-path/

Johann

 

OK, but do employers screw them salary wise because technically they don't have the piece of paper?

 

Uh --all screwing must be consensual, I guess. Technically, I just found something better to do today .... :sad:

Johann

 

Seriously (for a change), I KNEW there was a learning startup where the main object was to get people employed. Found it. Not Coursera or Udacity -- it's LearnUp, here: A Well-Funded Startup Emerges From the Unemployment Lines | Wired Business | Wired.com Seems to be working! :smile:

Johann

 

OK -- but have you checked to see what companies actually train and hire through LearnUp?

I tried searching the LearnUp site for jobs in 95101 (zip for San Jose).
According to LearnUp, their training can place students in the following careers that are hiring now in SJ:

- Safeway Supermarkets: cashier, courtesy clerk, deli clerk
- Whole Foods Markets: team member
- Gap: sales associate
- Staples: easy tech associate, copy center associate

And coming soon:

- Starbucks: barista
- Wells Fargo: bank teller

Now maybe LearnUp does position people well for these jobs. If so, great. However, these are not the kinds of jobs where a college education is typically required.

If you want the kind of job that typically requires a college degree, you might have to seek education somewhere else -- like college.

 

No - obviously, I didn't check at all. I'm sure glad you did. I figured these guys majored in web-oriented IT and other business skills. Guess I was WAY wrong! Sorry!

Well said, as usual, CalDog. As Randy Jackson might phrase it, "Gotta give you Props, Dog!" :smile:

Johann

 

The open course ware movement, started by MIT's opencourseware initiative was a way for MIT to provide public access to materials used in its classes. It was never intended to provide access to MIT's professors or to provide credit. It was a way to acknowledge that providing free materials to the public is a good thing. Colleges and universities in more than 40 countries (including over 30 in the U.S.) are members of the open courseware consortium.

OCW Consortium