Category: Make

Hugh Macleod had a contest running way back in 2006 asking to write our own manifesto and had said that he would publish the ones he liked. I don’t think that he published this one. He did reply to me via email on December 5, 2006 saying he had a flood of email and did not think my Manifesto would make it. I am amazed how widespread this is now-a-days. Makes me want to take my ideas more seriously now.

This was originally published on a WordPress.com blog post that I once had on November 24, 2006 on euniversity.wordpress.com with the following idea:

The whole University will be online.

1. You can sign up by sending in a copy of your last exam marksheet which would have made you eligible for attending university.
2. You then state which job you intend to take.
3. An email will then be sent to your email id within a week that will tell you which are the courses you need to take plus some courses that offered as soft-skill courses.
4. You then login into your profile page. You select the courses you want to do now.
5. You can take your own time through the course. At the end of which you will be asked to attend a test conducted by an industry major.
6. The industry conducting the test then puts up the results. Industries look up this list and hire you based on the scores you get. Industries call you for an interview.
7. The company interviewing you checks your background and if information provided to us turns out to be false, you pay us a fees even if you do or do not get a job (which is dependent on the industry conducting the interview).

What sort of course material do you get?

1. audio podcasts.
2. video – streaming or for download.
3. lecture notes.
4. assignments

Advantages

1. You can do a specific course that you want to be good at.
2. You get tested and recruited by the industry.
3. It’s cheaper compared to your university education.
4. The time you take to complete a course depends on you.

Dis-Advantages

1. You miss classroom learning.
2. You need a good Internet connection and a computer.

Corporate Advantages:

1. You get a stream of people who are genuinely interested in a particular field.
2. You can gauge the level of understanding a student has before he works by looking at his online profile through reports etc.
3. Your only investment will be in conducting the test and providing training ammenities for a student if the course involves training.

Student Advantages:

1. Easily switch from one course to another.
2. Get recruited at the end of the course.
3. Select any course you like. You can even do a course while working. Your profile will be active until you choose to delete it.
4. Your final skill will be highly specialized.

Content loaded on the website:

1. Content will be sourced from Professors. This content will be rated by students. Professors can also receive feedback and requests, if they wish.
2. Workings, explanations, demos etc. can be done through audio or video podcasts.
3. All the content on the website including the user interface will be ranked by students in the course. Changes will take place accordingly.
4. Students can select to attend conferences arranged by us.
5. Courses will be added as soon as we find corporates/institutions involved in the field.

What I need?

1. A venture capitalist.
2. Techie who can load audio, video, lecture online.
3. Staff to process sign-up requests from students.
4. Professors who can design content – audio, video and lectures – for the course.
5. Companies who are ready to back us with a promise of job and conducting interviews and training to students during and at the end of the course.
6. A person to design the UI for the website.

The idea is to be implemented in India.