Recasting Distance Learning with Network-Enabled Open Education: An Interview with Vijay Kumar

Abstract

Vijay Kumar, senior associate dean for undergraduate education at MIT and director of MIT's Office of Educational Innovation and Technology, gave the opening luncheon speech at the recent Campus Technology Conference in Boston. Afterwards, I interviewed Vijay in depth about one of the topics that he covered in his speech regarding distance learning and open education. James L. Morrison [JLM]: Vijay, I understand that your presentation was based in part on a newly released book that you co-edited for the MIT Press entitled Opening Up Education (Iiyoshi and Kumar 2008) and in part on your work as an advisor to India's National Knowledge Commission. Vijay Kumar [VK]: Yes. I did draw upon the book, which is now available from MIT Press in print and in an open-access edition, and on my recent experience in the Indian context. The book, sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, is a selection of essays by prominent practitioners of open education who have been engaged in leading these initiatives since MIT launched OpenCourseware (OCW), the intent being to examine how these initiatives can collectively make a difference in transforming education. The National Knowledge Commission was appointed by India's prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to examine issues related to improving and scaling educational opportunity in that country by focusing on the