Education

Introduction

There are two ways to approach education, one with the intention of seeking knowledge, and the second is to obtain some form of credentials for this knowledge in the form of an accredition, certification and diploma.

Need for Credentials

Discussion of pursuing an online, correspondence or distance education programme. Costs associated with such a programme. Please see Talk:Education for my thoughts. Needs to be expanded.

Pursuit of knowledge

Assuming you don't seek a diploma, it is perfectly feasible to educate yourself. Recently, there have been great developments in online learning tools.

Online Lectures

• MIT OpenCourseWare Multi-college program, putting lecture recordings, suggested reading, assignments, and so forth online for general use.
• iTunes U Apple provides a service to download lectures from various universities via iTunes
• Khan Academy Online video lectures, typically a teacher speaking and drawing on a virtual blackboard. A large variety of courses for various skill levels and ages are available

Online Learning

There are frequently good online resources available to help learn specific things. These sites are tailored to a specific course of study and can be interactive.

• LiveMocha Great resource with free language lessons for a variety of languages. Provides lessons, quizzes, and a way to get feedback on what you've spoken or written from native speakers of a given language. All available free, although there is premium content.

Libraries

Local libraries are always a standby for educational resources, but it's also worth checking libraries of local universities. This will give you access to more scholarly resources. Many university libraries allow local residents to check out books. They aren't just limited to students.