Stanford University to Offer Free Technology Courses
23 Aug
The Ivy League is the crème de la crème of universities. Prestigious and world renowned for their academic rigor and their ability to prepare students for what is becoming an even more competitive job market, these schools entice students from all over the world. Recently, Stanford University has knocked down the walls of the classroom and pushed aside the admissions office. They’re providing high-quality education to anyone in the world, for free.
With a focus on the most common and talked about topics in technology today, the three courses including Machine Learning, Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Introduction to Databases will take students on a self-paced exploration of what a typical Stanford student would see. Students partaking in the semester long course will be expected to devote time to reading course materials, completing assignments and taking exams and quizzes.
So the walls of the university have been knocked down – come one, come all! Similar programs such as Massachusetts’ Institute of Technology OpenCourseWare or Open Yale Courses all seek to unlock the world of knowledge and empower the minds of students, both in America and abroad.
Sebastian Thrun, a Stanford research professor teaching the artificial intelligence course explains that the current times have called for this academic shift. “Technology has progressed, connectivity has progressed and video has progressed,” it is time to take the “Stanford education out into the world to people who cannot afford it or who do not have access.”
Who would have thought that the day would come where anyone regardless of SAT scores, GPA, teacher recommendations or work experience could get an Ivy education? The degree though, that still comes with hefty tuition bill (for now at least).
Keep Calm and Learn On,
Nora
Image available under CC licensure