As an MIT alumnus myself, I am very proud that my alma mater has taken such a radical step. At a time when most universities are expanding their online courses to increase revenues, MIT has completely gone against the tide. It goes against the grain of current material values. It is innovative. We are providing our core materials that are the infrastructure that undergirds an MIT education.
Real education requires interaction, the interaction that is part of great teaching.
We think that OpenCourseWare will make it possible for faculty here and elsewhere to concentrate even more on the actual process of teaching, on the interactions between faculty and students that are the real core of learning. There's the possibility of developing courses in the humanities or the arts, for example, for retirees or for people who have wanted to go back to school for a long time. A lot of opportunities are out there to make money. The impact of this move by MIT for Africa can be significant. It will allow African university faculty an incredible library of materials that can vastly improve the quality of teaching at many university campuses.