The Chronicle of Higher Education reported on Monday that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will be offering certificates to outside students who complete their new batch of open online courses, called MITx.
Members of MITx will be part of a virtual community and will “watch videos, answer questions, practice exercises, visit online labs, and take quizzes and tests” as part of their coursework.
The credentials awarded by the university for completion of the material will not be issued under the MIT name. Rather, the school will be creating a distinctly-named non-profit body within the institution to award the certifications.
The article argues that such programs create a greater level of accessibility to education of a high standard.
