The Ivy League Explores Online Learning
by Paul D. Rosevear
The Harvard Extension School offers 75 online courses for undergraduate or graduate credit by offering videotaped lectures online, along with other course materials. While there are currently no fully online degree programs offered at Harvard, at the school's 2005 commencement, the president at the time, Lawrence Summers, emphasized the importance of embracing the marriage of education and technology. "Information technology offers the potential to multiply manyfold the number of students and scholars with access to Harvard's unique intellectual resources," he said. He encouraged schools to "think creatively and boldly about how they can extend the reach of their excellence through technology in the years ahead."
But can you be a Harvard student without walking through Harvard Yard on your way to class? As online learning (sometimes called eLearning) becomes increasingly commonplace in colleges and universities, will it eventually be possible to earn an Ivy League degree without ever strolling the hallowed halls? Ivy League schools have begun taking tentative steps toward online education offerings.
Read the rest of the article here
Do you think if school such as Harvard or Yale, etc. offered online degrees that it would "cheapen" their value in the workplace?