Extracting Meaning from Emptiness

We’re all well aware of the
growing list of high-quality universities offering free online
classes. It’s remarkable by any measure.

But we also know the counter-argument: you don’t receive near the benefit
from free online education that you get from attending university because
much of the benefit comes from being forced to go to class, to take exams,
etc.

Fair enough. Whatever the mix is: 70/30, 60/40, 50/50 — it doesn’t matter.
Both are important. So here’s the question:

Is there a space for offering the other half of that equation? How about a
service that combines quiet space (university like) with “proctors” who
present the media, schedule and regulate time, and encourage progress?

Ask anyone who’s tried iTunes University or any other medium for this
approach to education and you’ll find the issue isn’t the content; it’s
about isolation from other students, and finding the motivation to move
steadily through the courseware and perform exercises.

Imagine going into a classroom in a vacant building local to you where there
are twenty other people who want to take
a CompSci class at Stanford. There’s a regular schedule twice a week, a familiar education-friendly
environment, and students to interact with after the session.

It’s not a full reproduction of the university experience, obviously, but
it’s a whole lot closer than opening a browser window at home amid the chaos
of your life. Students could pay a small fee each session to rent the room
and give the proctor gas and coffee money. Plus, the proctor benefits from
the classes as well.

Even if this isn’t viable as a business model I think it has potential as a
new genre of local meetup group. Who’s up for spinning one up in the Bay
Area?

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