GrammarGrammar Grammar for learners of English

University education goes online                  virtual courses

As British students face the daunting prospect                  paying up                 � 9,000 a year                  higher education, there are increasing opportunities to learn online                  much less, and                  many cases free.

Earlier this month, Stanford University opened registration to its artificial intelligence course which is being offered free online                  all.

Previously, the university had offered only introductory notes                  its Computer Science course free online. However, this pioneering move sees the university, which students                  all                  the world pay thousands to attend, sees offer a complete course free                  charge.

So far 53,000 people have signed up, including many                  Britain,                  the artificial intelligence course. The course is taught                  Sebastian Thrun, a professor                  computer science and electrical engineering                  Stanford, and Peter Norvig, a visiting professor and director                                                    Google. Norvig is probably best known                  the lead developer                  Google’s self-driving car.

The online course consists                  two online lectures a week, digital discussions and a weekly piece                  homework that must be completed                                                    all online students to pass.

“We have been blown away                  how much interest there has been                  the course,” says Thrun. “We taught this class last year                  177 students, but we wanted to open it up                  those who can not access this type                  education where they live- places                  Indonesia and Africa? However, we have had lots                  people sign up                  the US and the UK who are looking                  a new way to be educated that is not as expensive or time-consuming. Now we have 53,000 students.”

All online students will receive a certificate                  accomplishment, rather than a Stanford degree, but it will depend                  their full participation and completion                  all                  the three-month course materials.

The pair admit that the automatic grading system they have come up to mark people’s homework assignments en masse, would not work as well                  arts courses, such as poetry. However, Norvig doesn’t see why there couldn’t be a future                  online courses, where human markers or peer to peer marking isn’t introduced. The pair are using Google Moderator to take questions                  the 53,000 students. The tool algorithmically finds the most popular and similar questions                  a huge number                  queries, allowing the lecturers to answer                  many questions as possible                  the most efficient way.

Michael Arthur, vice-chancellor                  Leeds University, agrees that more needs to be made                  digital learning but says that online lessons are only a supplement and can not replace the value                  the full university experience.

”                 Leeds University, we don’t just want people to learn facts, we want them to be                  the frontier                  learning and discovering new things                  their subject and the world. This can only happen                  having full access                  a university’s facilities and also                  teamwork. These types                  experiences are incredibly difficult to reproduce online,” he explains.

Arthur adds: ”                 the end                  day it’s my honest belief that I can’t provide students                  the same type                  free critical free thinking                  online-only content. It’s analogous                  going                  a concert                  just watching it or music videos online. People haven’t stopped attending concerts because they can access live content online- the live experience is so much better and the same is                                   terms                  teaching                  university.”

However, Thrun doesn’t think online lessons will replace university courses but rather augment the education experience.

”                 making full use                  the web’s capabilities, we are extending the reach                  existing education? plus lots                  people get degrees                  a range                  reasons. We can not offer Stanford certification                  this course, but many people want to learn                  the knowledge they will gain and not just a qualification,” he explains.

The Stanford experiment is not the only example                  how the internet is being used                  university education. The Open University has a? Learning Space? service that allows people to try more than 600 free online course- each taking                  one and 50 hours                  study.

Coventry University, photographer Jonathan Worth has opened his classes                  the internet. Class materials, lectures and assignments are made available                                   RSS feeds. More than 10,000 people visited the course website when it ran last year and Worth says he has had around 700 emails                  people asking to sign up                  the next course, which starts                  October.

And                  the last four years, Apple has offered iTunes U, an online educational catalogue so people can learn university material                  the move. More than 800 universities                  the world have active iTunes U sites,                  more than 350,000 audio and video files having been uploaded                  universities                  the globe- including China, Mexico and Japan.

Last year a study                  Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, found that traditional university courses could become the preserve                  an elite as growing numbers                  students take on-line degrees.

Prof Geoffrey Crossick, vice-chancellor                  the University                  London, said                  the time that the current system                  delivering higher education was “no longer financially sustainable”.

the UUK report, he said the number                  flexible courses- including part-time study, on-the-job training and internet-based qualifications- would “explode”                  the future.

This would lead                  a drop                  the proportion                  students taking full-time degrees and living                  traditional student accommodation, he said, an experience that was likely to be limited                  those                  top universities.

“Fundamental rethinking will be needed                  a world where the proportion                  those who experience higher education                  the traditional fashion will decline, where the range                  alternatives will explode, and where the variety                  providers will grow                  it.”

The explosion is about to happen.

University education goes online with virtual courses

As British students face the daunting prospect of paying up to� 9,000 a year for higher education, there are increasing opportunities to learn online for much less, and in many cases free.

Earlier this month, Stanford University opened registration to its artificial intelligence course which is being offered free online to all.

Previously, the university had offered only introductory notes to its Computer Science course free online. However, this pioneering move sees the university, which students from all over the world pay thousands to attend, sees offer a complete course free of charge.

So far 53,000 people have signed up, including many from Britain, for the artificial intelligence course. The course is taught by Sebastian Thrun, a professor of computer science and electrical engineering at Stanford, and Peter Norvig, a visiting professor and director of research at Google. Norvig is probably best known as the lead developer of Google’s self-driving car.

The online course consists of two online lectures a week, digital discussions and a weekly piece of homework that must be completed in order for all online students to pass.

“We have been blown away by how much interest there has been in the course,” says Thrun. “We taught this class last year to 177 students, but we wanted to open it up to those who can not access this type of education where they live- places like Indonesia and Africa? However, we have had lots of people sign up from the US and the UK who are looking for a new way to be educated that is not as expensive or time-consuming. Now we have 53,000 students.”

All online students will receive a certificate of accomplishment, rather than a Stanford degree, but it will depend upon their full participation and completion of all of the three-month course materials.

The pair admit that the automatic grading system they have come up to mark people’s homework assignments en masse, would not work as well for arts courses, such as poetry. However, Norvig doesn’t see why there couldn’t be a future of online courses, where human markers or peer to peer marking isn’t introduced. The pair are using Google Moderator to take questions from the 53,000 students. The tool algorithmically finds the most popular and similar questions from a huge number of queries, allowing the lecturers to answer as many questions as possible in the most efficient way.

Michael Arthur, vice-chancellor of Leeds University, agrees that more needs to be made of digital learning but says that online lessons are only a supplement and can not replace the value of the full university experience.

“At Leeds University, we don’t just want people to learn facts, we want them to be at the frontier of learning and discovering new things about their subject and the world. This can only happen through having full access to a university’s facilities and also via teamwork. These types of experiences are incredibly difficult to reproduce online,” he explains.

Arthur adds: “At the end of day it’s my honest belief that I can’t provide students with the same type of free critical free thinking through online-only content. It’s analogous to going to a concert over just watching it or music videos online. People haven’t stopped attending concerts because they can access live content online- the live experience is so much better and the same is true in terms of teaching at university.”

However, Thrun doesn’t think online lessons will replace university courses but rather augment the education experience.

“By making full use of the web’s capabilities, we are extending the reach of existing education? plus lots of people get degrees for a range of reasons. We can not offer Stanford certification on this course, but many people want to learn for the knowledge they will gain and not just a qualification,” he explains.

The Stanford experiment is not the only example of how the internet is being used in university education. The Open University has a? Learning Space? service that allows people to try more than 600 free online course- each taking between one and 50 hours to study.

At Coventry University, photographer Jonathan Worth has opened his classes to the internet. Class materials, lectures and assignments are made available free via RSS feeds. More than 10,000 people visited the course website when it ran last year and Worth says he has had around 700 emails from people asking to sign up to the next course, which starts in October.

And over the last four years, Apple has offered iTunes U, an online educational catalogue so people can learn university material on the move. More than 800 universities throughout the world have active iTunes U sites, with more than 350,000 audio and video files having been uploaded from universities around the globe- including China, Mexico and Japan.

Last year a study by Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, found that traditional university courses could become the preserve of an elite as growing numbers of students take on-line degrees.

Prof Geoffrey Crossick, vice-chancellor of the University of London, said at the time that the current system of delivering higher education was “no longer financially sustainable”.

In the UUK report, he said the number of flexible courses- including part-time study, on-the-job training and internet-based qualifications- would “explode” in the future.

This would lead to a drop in the proportion of students taking full-time degrees and living in traditional student accommodation, he said, an experience that was likely to be limited to those at top universities.

“Fundamental rethinking will be needed in a world where the proportion of those who experience higher education in the traditional fashion will decline, where the range of alternatives will explode, and where the variety of providers will grow with it.”

The explosion is about to happen.