Higher education is in for a radical change. A new program will offer lower level online courses for students at San Jose State University for only $150. The program is run by a company called Udacity, which hires its own online mentors to run the courses, which will predominantly feature instructional videos and web-based quizzes. The program is aimed at students who have trouble meeting basic college requirements and will offer algebra and statistics courses to 300 students at a time. Students from San Jose State and nearby high schools and community colleges will be eligible to sign up. We’ve seen technology in the classroom, as teachers use iPads and cell phones to help with their lessons. But this is one of the first times technology has replaced State teachers, rather than help them. What this means for the future of education is anyone’s guess, but we’ve officially entered a new era: one dominated by computers and robots. Our world is more connected than ever before.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with AI strategy, implementation and governance, as well as technology, media and marketing. Named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Technology, he is a bestselling author, covers tech and business for Fox 5’s Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN, and writes the popular daily business blog Think About This. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.