????如果想要一個(gè)MBA學(xué)位，但你耽擱不起兩年的光陰，也無力承受高達(dá)超過25萬美元的學(xué)費(fèi)、書本費(fèi)、生活費(fèi)，以及工資損失，怎么辦？

????少年，請容許我給你出個(gè)主意。

????聽好了，這個(gè)方案有點(diǎn)不落窠臼，它要求你具備很強(qiáng)的自律性。一切結(jié)束后，你就可以在你的簡歷中驕傲地寫上接受過常青藤院校教育的經(jīng)歷。而且，它不會(huì)花費(fèi)你一分錢。

????聽起來好得令人難以置信？也許是。但我已經(jīng)引起了你的注意。這是你在一節(jié)基礎(chǔ)營銷班上最先學(xué)到的知識(shí)之一。沃頓(Wharton)，世界上最好的商學(xué)院之一，通過MOOC免費(fèi)提供這些課程。

????MOOC是“大規(guī)模開放式在線課程”的英文首字母縮寫，意指可以在全球各地通過互聯(lián)網(wǎng)訪問的課程。拜其靈活性所賜，廣大學(xué)子都對它垂涎三尺。

????很難用言語來描述MOOC究竟是什么模樣。套用大法官波特?斯圖爾特的話說就是，“看到它時(shí)，你就知道了?！贝蠖鄶?shù)MOOC依靠設(shè)置好的開始和結(jié)束日期，但也有少數(shù)由學(xué)生自定進(jìn)程。它容納學(xué)生的規(guī)模既可擴(kuò)展至數(shù)萬名，也可以是一個(gè)條件苛刻的小規(guī)模社區(qū)。學(xué)生們偶爾可以通過MOOC獲得成績和大學(xué)學(xué)分，但在大多數(shù)情況下，他們最終會(huì)收到一張結(jié)業(yè)證書。

????考試可以在監(jiān)督下進(jìn)行，但許多MOOC依靠信用制度。教科書往往是非強(qiáng)制性的（雖然一些課程配備了電子圖書和供下載的軟件）。盡管MOOC的教授主要通過視頻和PPT文件授課，但許多教授也在留言板上跟學(xué)生實(shí)時(shí)互動(dòng)，甚至還為在線學(xué)生專門留出了一部分上班時(shí)間。盡管MOOC以遠(yuǎn)程教育為基礎(chǔ)，但許多學(xué)生組成了以地區(qū)為基礎(chǔ)的在線社區(qū)。

????不過，所有MOOC都具備一個(gè)顯著特征：面向所有人。這正是它們?nèi)绱思t火的原因所在。誠然，許多MOOC都是免費(fèi)的，但它們正在吸引數(shù)以百萬計(jì)的學(xué)生，這些學(xué)生恰恰是高等院校未來的潛在客戶。這就是為什么課程時(shí)代( Coursera)、edX和Udacity等平臺(tái)正在與大學(xué)開展內(nèi)容合作。比如，edX最初與哈佛大學(xué)(Harvard)和麻省理工學(xué)院(MIT)結(jié)盟，后來又增加了加州大學(xué)伯克利分校(University of California at Berkeley)和德克薩斯大學(xué)(University of Texas)，谷歌公司(Google)最近也加入了這個(gè)聯(lián)盟。課程時(shí)代由斯坦福大學(xué)(Stanford)的教授發(fā)起，提供來自沃頓、哥倫比亞(Columbia)和耶魯(Yale)等大學(xué)的課程。

????這種局面引發(fā)了一個(gè)問題：既然這些平臺(tái)免費(fèi)提供這么多優(yōu)質(zhì)內(nèi)容，學(xué)生們還有必要進(jìn)入大學(xué)學(xué)習(xí)嗎？MOOC促進(jìn)了全球的教育民主化進(jìn)程（只要你連接上了互聯(lián)網(wǎng)）。學(xué)生可以像對待宜家( IKEA)家具那樣對待教育嗎？???

????So you want an MBA, but you can't afford to take two years off and invest upwards of a quarter of a million on tuition, books, living expenses, and lost wages?

????Boy, do I have a proposition for you.

????Now, it's a little unconventional. And it'll require a load of self-discipline. When it's over, you'll have an Ivy League education on your resume. And it won't cost you a cent.

????Sound too good to be true? Maybe it is. But I got your attention. And that's one of the first things you learn in a foundational marketing class. And one of the world's best business schools -- Wharton -- offers one of those for free through a MOOC.

????MOOCs -- an acronym for massive open online courses -- are courses that can be accessed globally over the Internet. Thanks to their flexibility, students covet them.

????It can be hard to describe what a MOOC is. To paraphrase Justice Potter Stewart, you "know it when you see it." Most MOOCs rely on set start and end dates, though a few are self-paced. They can be scaled to accommodate tens-of-thousands or just a select community. Occasionally, students can earn grades and college credit through MOOCs. Mostly, though, students receive a certificate of completion.

????Tests can be proctored, but many MOOCs rely on the honor system. Textbooks are often optional (though some courses come with eBooks and downloadable software). Although professors deliver content through videos and PowerPoint in MOOCs, many engage with students on message boards in realtime (and even keep office hours for online students). Although MOOCs are grounded in distance education, many students form regionally based online communities.

????Still, there is one characteristic that marks all MOOCs: They are available to anyone. And that's why they're booming. Sure, many MOOCs are free. But they're also drawing millions of students, potential future customers for universities. That's why platforms like Coursera, edX, and Udacity are partnering with schools to house content. For example, edX started as a consortium between Harvard and MIT -- and has since added the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Texas to its membership (along with recently joining forces with Google (GOOG)). Coursera was launched by Stanford professors and offers courses from the likes of Wharton, Columbia, and Yale.

????That raises the question: With so much content available for free, do students even need to enroll in college anymore? MOOCs have democratized education globally (provided you have an Internet connection). Could students treat education like IKEA furniture??