Free college courses feed global hunger for learning

by E Wayne Ross on February 28, 2008

USA Today: Free college courses feed global hunger for learning

In 2002, when the Massachusetts Institute of Technology started making course content available free online, project organizers had no idea their site would become a favorite destination for science junkies across the globe.

They posted lecture outlines and other materials primarily as a resource for fellow educators. But a whopping 55% of the 750,000 monthly visitors come from the ranks of “independent learners” who simply want the knowledge that once required a student ID.