I read this week about MIT's open course ware. Basically, professors at MIT have made their educational materials available to everyone through their open course ware website for free. This is awesome! I went to the open course ware website, http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm, and clicked on the high-school link. A professor from MIT had posted a series of videos specifically to help students with the basics of calculus. What a great resource for high-school students. There was also a link on the high-school page for teachers. Available on this page were resources tailored to help high-school teachers in their classrooms.
If one of our goals as a nation is to be a leader in education shouldn't we follow the example of professors at MIT and make educational resources available to everyone at no cost? Is it therefore ethical to make money off of education?
You have asked an excellent question and one I have been pondering for some time. This puts a particular spotlight on all of the "for-profit" universities that are popping up everywhere. There are lots of arguments that the "for-profit" movement is watering down our education. On the opposite side many claim it provides greater access to those who would not have access otherwise. I can see both sides but it is a balance that I think most institutions have a hard time keeping. What are your thoughts?
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