Degree of Freedom

an adventure in online learning

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MOOCS – Writing and Interviews

In the News

New-York-Times-Logo

In the Age of Information, Specializing to Survive

(New York Times, March 20, 2014)

Mr. Haber’s [Degree of Freedom] project embodies a modern miracle: the ease with which anyone can learn almost anything.

A History of MOOCs, Open Online Courses

(New York Times, October 30, 2014)

The slim paperback is a primer on the phenomenon as well as a chronicle of his own experience fast-tracking the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.


wgbh-on-campus

While Hype Has Fizzled, Colleges Consider Giving Credit for Open Online Courses

(WGBH Radio, July 7, 2014)

Over the course of a year, Jonathan Haber took 34 free online courses. His goal was to earn the equivalent of a B.A. in Philosophy. For the father of two sons, it was an existential experience.


Boston-Globe-Logo

Can you MOOC Your Way Through College in One Year?

(Globe Ideas Section, April 13, 2013)

how completely can online courses reproduce the college experience? Lexington writer and entrepreneur Jonathan Haber wanted to find out.


chronicle-of-higher-education-logo

What Professors Can Learn From “Hard Core” MOOC Students

(Chronicle of Higher Education, May 20, 2013)

Opinions are mixed on the biggest question: Are MOOC students learning as much as they would in traditional courses?

At least one hard-core learner is focused on that question. The student is Jonathan Haber, a 51-year-old who has taken a year off from his job in publishing to try to get an entire four years’ worth of college from MOOCs and other free online materials. He is blogging about his experience along the way.


wall-street-journal-logo

An Early Card on Massive Open Online Courses

(Wall Street Journal, October 8, 2013 – paywall)

Software entrepreneur Jonathan Haber has an undergraduate degree, but decided to dedicate a year to determining if MOOCs can provide the equivalent of a traditional liberal-arts degree.


voice-of-america-logo

Online Classes Might Force Changes at Universities

(Voice of America, May 30, 2013)

Instead of the professor lecturing to students, who then do research, study, and homework alone, many online classes flip that around, according to student and blogger Jonathan Haber, who said he is taking enough online classes to earn a four-year college degree in just one year.


bostinno logo

Meet the Man Who Finished Four Years of College in One — For Free

(BostInno, March 28, 2014)

Someday, anyone with an Internet connection could be walking away with the equivalent of a college degree. As Haber has proved, it can be done.


mooc-news-and-reviews-logo

The New College Try: A Q&A With Degree of Freedom’s Jonathan Haber

(MOOC News and Reviews, July 17, 2013)

This is Robert McGuire from MOOC News and Reviews. Today I’m talking with Jonathan Haber who is the man behind the Degree of Freedom project.


Published Writing

Leveraging the MOOC Precedent in the Age of COVID-19

(MIT Press Reader, April 7, 2020)

MOOCs, or massive open online courses, can provide guidance and even resources for schools attempting the swift conversion of entire academic programs.

edsurge-logo

MOOCs and the Slope of Enlightenment

(edSurge, March 18, 2014)

The first in a four-part series analyzing MOOC market segments


Finding the Right MOOC Market for College Kids

(edSurge, March 27, 2014)

The second in a four-part series analyzing MOOC market segments


Meritable MOOCs for the Mature Crowd

(edSurge, April 8, 2014)

The third in a four-part series analyzing MOOC market segments


Imagining MOOCs for a Developing World

(edSurge, April 18, 2014)

The fourth in a four-part series analyzing MOOC market segments


slate-magazine-logo

My Year of MOOCs

(Slate February 6, 2014)

Lessons learned from earning the equivalent of a B.A. in 12 months, online.

More Musings

Coursera Vlog (transcripts)

The 1 Year MOOC BA Experiment: Degree of Freedom

3 Tips from Jonathan Haber on Coursera Time Management!

Do Your Homework!

Signaling Learning for MOOCs

20 Things I’ve Learned So Far in 2.5 Minutes

Huffington Post

My semi-regular HuffPo column

MOOC Reviews

Reviews of courses I’ve completed appearing at MOOC News and Reviews

eCampus News

My Year in MOOC-land

Interviews/Speaking Engagements

  • Fullerton College Centennial Futures Conference (Fullerton, CA – January 31, 2014)

Previous MOOC-Related Speaking Engagements

  • MIT Science and Policy Initiative (Cambridge, MA – January 31, 2014)
  • MIT Tech Conference – Disrupting Life! (Cambridge, MA – February 22, 2014)
  • LearnLaunch 2014 Conference (Cambridge, MA – March 1, 2014)
  • Digital Media and Learning (DML Hub) 2014 Conference (Boston, MA – March 7, 2014)
  • MOOCShop (Denver, CO – June 23, 2014)
  • Campus Technology 2014 (Boston, MA – July 28-31, 2014)
  • MIT – Digital Learning: Improving Access to Learning and Holistic Educational Outcomes (Cambridge, MA – September 23, 2014)
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Recent Posts

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Latest Published Writing

Remote Learning Begs the Question:  Must Lectures Be So Long? (EdSurge – May 25, 2020)

It’s Time to Get Serious About Teaching Critical Thinking (Inside Higher Education – March 2, 2020)

Why the ‘Best’ Ideas in Education Technology and Reform Don’t Win (EdSurge – February 5, 2020)

Is Education Entering an “Age of Alternatives”? (EdSurge – March 2, 2019)

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