OpenCourseWare (OCW)
In 2000, an MIT faculty committee on lifelong learning proposed a program that was as straightforward as it was revolutionary: a Web site that would give away virtually all of MIT’s teaching materials for free. MIT OpenCourseWare has grown from that bold idea into an unparalleled educational resource that has benefited millions and inspired a global movement. The site contains the core teaching materials—including lecture notes, syllabi, assignments, and exams—for all 1,800 of MIT’s courses: the entire curriculum of the Institute freely available for anyone to use.
But publishing coursework is just the beginning. In the coming years, MIT OCW will be adding deeper and richer content across the site, including more audio and video. New services are also under way, such as the Highlights for High School portal, which gathers OCW site materials most applicable to advanced high school study in physics, calculus, and biology.
The cost of free
Although efficient, providing educational materials on a global scale for free—however beneficial—is not without cost. Enormous effort goes into collecting these materials from faculty, reformatting them to maximize accessibility, organizing them into consistent structures, and clearing any copyright hurdles. On average, each course published costs about $10,000.
The Institute seeks the help of organizations and individuals who share the deeply held conviction that unlocking knowledge makes the world a better place. One meaningful way to make an immediate impact is to direct your contribution to the fund listed below.
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| MIT OpenCourseWare | Add to my gift form |
With your help, MIT OCW can continue to set a standard for the world. To discuss a special gift to MIT OpenCourseWare initiative, or for questions, please contact:
Stephen Carson
MIT OCW External Relations Director
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
617.253.1250
