Free Online Education Is Now Illegal in Minnesota

State law prohibits degree-granting institutions from offering instruction in Minnesota without obtaining permission from the office and paying a registration fee.

Minnesota bans Coursera: State takes bold stand against free education.

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Comments

Daniel333

It was 12 years ago sitting in a class of 300 people hardly being able to hear an instructor lecture on statistics. I had to watch him on the TV on the side of the room.

Ultimately, there was no interaction other than an attendance check which was done by a student teacher.

You would then go home and self teach the materials to yourself. Maybe go to a local library and study. It was at this moment I finally realized the education system was broken. I mean, BROKEN.

I didn't need this guy at all. He was a wasting my time. He was not only replaced EASILY by a DVD, it was better since the sound and video quality an the ability to replay the class when I was working through the assignments. Oh, and it's cheaper.

Grading the assignments? Can't that be computerized? So who needs these people.

I spent the next 4 years of my life paying off that experience? Screw them.

I am excited for the free education movement. I finish a class at least every 3-4 months. I've learned more in the last 2 years then I did in all of College. Toss in some TED talks and IT certs... and it's nearly free.

It's should be expected the existing legacy education system will attempt to solidify it's place. But Sooner it's gone, the better.

ptilsen

Thread title is completely misleading. Minnesota state law requires degree-granting institutions to get permission to teach here, which involves a fee. It doesn't mean free online education is illegal in Minnesota; it just means providers have to register and pay the state. This in turn makes providing free online educating difficult, since it ads costs to something which presumably has no revenue, but it doesn't make it illegal. Heck, don't listen to me. Just read the article. I don't see how anyone could read it and come to the conclusion in the thread's title.

It seems an odd move in any case, since the classes specified do not lead to degrees or even college credit. They just happen to be provided by degree-granting institutions that aren't licensed to teach in Minnesota. Anyhow, it's pretty much unenforceable (well, it's easily circumvented and I don't really get their motivation. It doesn't somehow help licensed Minnesota institutions by forcing free online education to register and pay, and it hurts Minnesotans. The registration money doesn't seem like it's really worth chasing, so I don't get it.

I get the point of the law, but this doesn't accomplish anything for free, non-credit-granting classes.

boredgamelad

The law that's affecting this is 20 years old. It was clearly not written with the internet or free courses in mind. However, it's still the duty of the state to upholds its laws.

Regardless, Office of Higher Education officials have already got plans to revisit the law in January.

“When the legislature convenes in January, my intent is to work with the Governor and Legislature to appropriately update the statute to meet modern-day circumstances,” said Pogemiller. “Until that time, I see no reason for our office to require registration of free, not-for-credit offerings.”