SKIM MOOC: The Wall Street Journal reports that the 26 schools of the University of Wisconsin system are taking self-directed learning to another level by " decoupling the learning part of education from student assessment and degree-granting." This fall, the system plans to offer bachelor's degrees based solely on testing. But this isn't a complete 180 away from MOOCS--school officials recommend (but do not require) that students enroll in online courses to supplement their knowledge. Wisconsin professors are also writing course material that will be available online.
Proponents of Wisconsin's move see it as the next step in the underlying promise of online education--democratized learning. Older students who have some schooling are especially happy: "I have all kinds of credits all over God's green earth, but I'm using this to finish it all off," said 41-year-old computer consultant David Lando to the WSJ.
Confirmed degrees include information technology, diagnostic imaging, and nursing. No word yet on how much the actual tests will cost.
