Rapid Learning. MIT to Expand Online Learning. MIT has announced an online learning initiative that will offer its courses through a new interactive learning platform that will enable students to participate in simulated labs, interact with professors and other students and earn certificates.
For the past decade MIT has provided access to its course content with OpenCourseWare (OCW) which has shared materials from more than 2000 courses with an estimated 100 million individuals worldwide. The new scheme, called MITx, adds interactive elements, such as lab exercises and contact with tutors and other students, that are missing in OCW and will give online learners a sense of participation in classes. Like OCW, access to content will be free but it is also planned to offer certification on successful completion of courses for a "modest fee". Finally a free e-Learning authoring system LCDS… from Microsoft. Learning Content Development System (LCDS) is an e-learning tool from Microsoft Corporation which provides users with a form based environment to create high quality, interactive, online courses.
With the LCDS people can create content such as interactive content, quizzes, games etc. LCDS is a free to use product for the Microsoft Learning Community which comprises of Microsoft Certified Trainers(MCTs), Microsoft Certified Partners for Learning Solutions(CPLS), Microsoft Certified Professionals(MCPs) etc. LCDS allows users to create courses for e-learning by making use of an instructional design model which has been used extensively in developing e-courses by Microsoft. E-Learning Software and Authoring Tools. Develop rapid eLearning courses and games.