If this works for some people then fine. Can't complain about the cost. And the educational staus quo stands to be challenged, IMO. But this is coding so it is almost literally within its own box. It's hard to see a strictly peer-to-peer environment working in other subject areas. Or in this area once cliques form and competition becomes down and dirty.
Wow....a neat out of the box idea. Learning without the BS socialization and propaganda if done right..
Wikipedia definition of a University: 42 might be a good choice for budding software developers. They may even be able to find them some placements. But IMO, it's not a university per se, since it doesn't offer anything of academic value. I'd like to call it a training center, a glorified one at the most.
If it's free and doesn't award degrees, it would seem to be exempt from the need to be approved by the BPPE. Which is good, because I question whether they would approve a school without teachers. Apparently it's only for the young and the hip, since it only accepts students between 18 and 30 years old. There's an entrance examination (along the lines of an IQ test) and a 30 day day long, 24/7 introductory experience. Admission to the 3-5 year 'program' is conditional on how well one does in this 30 day "piscene" (swimming pool) experience. The 3-5 year main 'program' does have some structure. It's built around particular coding skills in demand by employers and apparently hopes to include internships at actual employers. The website doesn't name the employers and instead asks interested employers to contact them and to suggest projects for the students. Here's the 'school's' website: https://www.42.us.org/
I'm far from being against teachers - can't be, as my son teaches High School. :smile: However, I am against the particular pro-teacher argument in the article. "The deep reason for a teacher is to guide students to grapple with exactly the complex, ambiguous, and tough issues that are usually outside of students' self-awareness or capabilities..." I say - if a student isn't told - and therefore doesn't realize something is (supposedly) "outside of his/her capabilities" then that student will likely go ahead and accomplish something. Not knowing something "can't be done" can be a blessing. I understand a little about writing code - and if one is going to learn something without a teacher, it's probably the discipline best-suited to this type of learning. This concept is exciting - a bit like being parachuted into Madrid - or perhaps Tegucigalpa - to learn Spanish. I'm sure it works! I wish them well. J.
At one time, the university of London external programmes were only by exams, no teachers were involved. There were no papers, no feedback, nothing.
That's how typical DL (not Online) education still works in India. Basically, you pay your fee and you'll receive some study materials/books by snail mail. You study on your own, and take exams.
