In September 2003, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology launched its OpenCourseWare (OCW) initiative, which made the content of hundreds of its courses freely available to anyone, anywhere in the world, on the Internet. As of December 2005, MIT OpenCourseWare had published 1,250 of its courses on the Web. The initial launch represented a significant achievement and a precursor to the huge effort to publish the materials of virtually all MIT undergraduate- and graduate-level courses by 2007. It also represents an important milestone in the Hewlett Foundation's work in the emerging field of open content.
The enthusiasm surrounding MIT's OpenCourseWare initiative has created a powerful wake that is inspiring other institutions to provide open content for the Web and encouraging the innovative development of learning communities and tools (see Utah State University and UC Office of the President, California Digital Library grant descriptions) to enable users to engage with open content as best fits their individual needs.
In 2005, MIT OpenCourseWare was honored with an award from the Tech Museum of Innovation in recognition of its work to use technology to improve the lives of people around the world. According to Anne H. Margulies, the executive director of MIT OCW, “This award recognizes the very simple, yet very big idea, that came from the MIT faculty – that the best way to advance education is to share knowledge openly and freely.”
An article entitled "MIT Everyware" in the September 2003 issue of Wired magazine reaffirms the strong acclaim received from anecdotal feedback from users around the world. In September 2003, MIT OCW was showcased in Beijing at a conference hosted by the Ministry of China for 100 universities. In December 2003, OCW's partnership to evaluate local adaptation and use of course materials in conjunction with UNESCO (see UNESCO grant description) will be highlighted at the World Summit in Geneva. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences has facilitated a partnership between MIT OCW and the International Academies of Sciences, the international group of the National Academies of Science, to assess use worldwide.
An evaluation of MIT OpenCourseWare in 2004 found that over 80% of the educators, students, and self-learners who access the site report a positive or extremely positive impact on teaching or learning activities. The site has also gained international attention with over half of the nearly 12,000 hits per day coming from outside of North America. For additional evaluation results, please see the Full Report (PDF) or Executive Summary (PDF).
The MIT OCW effort is jointly funded by the Hewlett and Mellon Foundations and MIT. For more information about this project, visit the MIT OpenCourseWare website.