????如果想要一個MBA學位，但你耽擱不起兩年的光陰，也無力承受高達超過25萬美元的學費、書本費、生活費，以及工資損失，怎么辦？

????少年，請容許我給你出個主意。

????聽好了，這個方案有點不落窠臼，它要求你具備很強的自律性。一切結束后，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歷。而且，它不會花費你一分錢。

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

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

????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，你就知道了。”大多數MOOC依靠設置好的開始和結束日期，但也有少數由學生自定進程。它容納學生的規模既可擴展至數萬名，也可以是一個條件苛刻的小規模社區。學生們偶爾可以通過MOOC獲得成績和大學學分，但在大多數情況下，他們最終會收到一張結業證書。

????考試可以在監督下進行，但許多MOOC依靠信用制度。教科書往往是非強制性的（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生實時互動，甚至還為在線學生專門留出了一部分上班時間。盡管MOOC以遠程教育為基礎，但許多學生組成了以地區為基礎的在線社區。

????不過，所有MOOC都具備一個顯著特征：面向所有人。這正是它們如此紅火的原因所在。誠然，許多MOOC都是免費的，但它們正在吸引數以百萬計的學生，這些學生恰恰是高等院校未來的潛在客戶。這就是為什么課程時代( Coursera)、edX和Udacity等平臺正在與大學開展內容合作。比如，edX最初與哈佛大學(Harvard)和麻省理工學院(MIT)結盟，后來又增加了加州大學伯克利分校(University of California at Berkeley)和德克薩斯大學(University of Texas)，谷歌公司(Google)最近也加入了這個聯盟。課程時代由斯坦福大學(Stanford)的教授發起，提供來自沃頓、哥倫比亞(Columbia)和耶魯(Yale)等大學的課程。

????這種局面引發了一個問題：既然這些平臺免費提供這么多優質內容，學生們還有必要進入大學學習嗎？MOOC促進了全球的教育民主化進程（只要你連接上了互聯網）。學生可以像對待宜家( 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??