3 ms·

Free access to internet and online university for those that can't pay for brick and mortar degrees would be reasonable in terms of cost and efficacy.

Gustomaximus 9y ago
I feel one of the bigger challengers for online university is the examination system as much as the course. If someone could organise a monthly 'exam hall'. Over time you could even build prestige on these courses same as large university if you can guarantee the examination process is robust. Thinking about it... I think you'd need; - A place where people have to physically turn up. - Paid/volunteer monitors do a proof of person ID check and some photo or physical ID check as students notoriously do other student exams in some unis. - Exam content has to be original to avoid rote leaning form doing past exams. - Exam content to be provided at test commencement on individual screens, communal projector or print out in the room that only get released as the exam starts. This way People cant gain early access to anything. - Web cams must be set up to show the exam room so effectively there is another level of monitors and the physically present monitors are monitored too. This again would reduce the risk of graft. - Exam paper/results must be collected immediately from exam with something to ensure the person who did the work uploads their own, e.g. At the end of the exam people are called by name to walk to the front of the hall and scan their paper. I'm sure there would be a bunch more to it than that but it seems to me once you could guarantee results are genuine there is a great opportunity to have recognised online courses that can have all the prestige of unis (less networking effect). Without believable results it will always be a challenge and learning will be for learning sake, not the recognition factor universities provide.

Gustomaximus 9y ago

I feel one of the bigger challengers for online university is the examination system as much as the course. If someone could organise a monthly 'exam hall'. Over time you could even build prestige on these courses same as large university if you can guarantee the examination process is robust. Thinking about it... I think you'd need; - A place where people have to physically turn up. - Paid/volunteer monitors do a proof of person ID check and some photo or physical ID check as students notoriously do other student exams in some unis. - Exam content has to be original to avoid rote leaning form doing past exams. - Exam content to be provided at test commencement on individual screens, communal projector or print out in the room that only get released as the exam starts. This way People cant gain early access to anything. - Web cams must be set up to show the exam room so effectively there is another level of monitors and the physically present monitors are monitored too. This again would reduce the risk of graft. - Exam paper/results must be collected immediately from exam with something to ensure the person who did the work uploads their own, e.g. At the end of the exam people are called by name to walk to the front of the hall and scan their paper. I'm sure there would be a bunch more to it than that but it seems to me once you could guarantee results are genuine there is a great opportunity to have recognised online courses that can have all the prestige of unis (less networking effect). Without believable results it will always be a challenge and learning will be for learning sake, not the recognition factor universities provide.