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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    College Reinvented in the Year of the 'MOOC'

    If you've never heard of a MOOC, don't worry. Massive Open Online Courses are only a year old, but several schools are using them to reach millions of students worldwide.

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    By Warren Olney • Dec 26, 2012 • 51m Listen

    If you've never heard of a MOOC, don't worry. Massive Open Online Courses are only a year old. But Stanford, Harvard and other prestigious schools are now using them to reach millions of students worldwide. On this archived edition of To the Point, we hear about the benefits — and the limits — of higher education on the Internet. Also, Greeks face a harsh winter at the end of a year of European austerity, and the new generation of leaders in both North and South Korea. Will they make a difference?

    Banner image: University of Maryland/flickr

    In this episode

    3 stories
    1. 0:00

      Greeks Face Harsh Winter at End of Year of European Austerity

      In Greece, three years of austerity and a weak economy are straining not just political stability but family unity. In a country of 11 million people, only 3.7 million have jobs, and now, the country is facing a harsh winter. That's according to Marcus Walker, Berlin correspondent for the Wall Street Journal .

      Read the story
      8 min
    2. 7:53

      Can Higher Education Be Democratized on the Internet?

      Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOC's, began last year when Stanford Professor Sebastian Thrun put a class on line.

      Read the story
      34 min
    3. 42:05

      What Next for North and South Korea?

      After a year in office, North Korea's young president has proven himself to be a different man from his father. Kim Jong Un has been outgoing, making public appearances with his pregnant wife. He's also claimed a great victory with the controversial rocket launch.

      Read the story
      9 min
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Anna Scott

      Former KCRW Housing and Homelessness Reporter

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Frances Anderton

      architecture critic and author

      NewsNationalPolitics

    In this episode

    3 stories
    1. 0:008 min

      Greeks Face Harsh Winter at End of Year of European Austerity

    2. 7:5334 min

      Can Higher Education Be Democratized on the Internet?

    3. 42:059 min

      What Next for North and South Korea?

    Back to To the Point