通過MOOC免費讀MBA

Some people can justify an investment of two years and $100,000 to get an MBA. I could not.

有些人能找到理由證明花上兩年時間和10萬美元去讀個工商管理碩士(MBA)學位是值得的。我可做不到這點。

I was working in Nicaragua for the International Finance Corporation, the development institution, was newly married, and preparing to leave for a post in Rwanda. Facing a break in employment, I considered business school, but when I did the maths — time out of the workforce, forgone earnings, cost of living expenses, and the price of the MBA itself — the numbers did not seem to add up.

我當時是開發機構“國際金融公司”(International Finance Corporation)駐尼加拉瓜工作人員，剛剛結婚，正準備前往盧旺達從事一份新的工作。面對職業上的這段空檔期，我考慮去讀商學院，但我掂量了下脫產的時間、放棄的收入、生活開銷成本和MBA本身的學費，發現這麼做似乎並不合算。

Then I heard about massive open online courses (Moocs) from a friend with an MBA who was taking a finance course as a refresher. I explored the larger Mooc platforms and was excited to find the foundations of a complete masters in business administration, with more courses coming online all the time. I saw an opportunity to build the education I desired, free, without interrupting my career.

後來，我從一個已有MBA學位的朋友那裏聽說了“大規模開放在線課程”(MOOC)。這個朋友當時正在MOOC平臺上讀一門金融課程，爲的是溫故而知新。我研究了下規模較大的MOOC平臺，激動地發現上面有完成MBA學位所需的基礎課程，並且不斷有新的課程被放到網上。我認爲這是一個機會，能夠幫我完成我想要的那種學習，也就是既免費又不必中斷職業生涯。

Completion rates in Moocs are notoriously low. In order to stay motivated, I decided to blog about my experiment, which I titled The No-Pay MBA.

MOOC的完成率出名的低。爲了保持學習動力，我決定寫博客記錄下我的學習體驗，博客的名字是“免費MBA”（No-Pay MBA）。

A year and a half later, I am well on my way to achieving my goal: to replicate a two-year full-time MBA programme over three years of part-time study. So far, I have taken about 20 business courses. Like a traditional degree programme, my business education as a whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. Not only am I learning new skills and concepts in a series of courses, I am having an immersive experience and the way that I think is evolving.

一年半過去了，我朝着我的目標——即通過三年的不脫產學習完成爲期兩年的全日制MBA項目——順利邁進。迄今爲止，我已選了大約20門商學課程。同傳統的學位項目一樣，我的商學學習整體上的收穫要遠大於各組分之和。我不僅是在一系列課程中學習新的技能和理念，而且是在享受一種身臨其境的體驗，我的思維方式也在演變。

Online degree programmes have been around for years, and distance learning as a whole is much older. What is new is that I am able to take courses from top business programmes: accounting from Wharton, entrepreneurship from Sloan, strategy from Darden — the list goes on — without paying anything.

在線學位項目已存在多年，籠統意義上的遠程教育則可追溯到更早的時間。與之前不同的是，現在我能夠從頂尖的商學項目中選擇課程，比如選擇沃頓商學院(Wharton)的會計課、斯隆管理學院(Sloan)的創業課、達頓商學院(Darden)的戰略課等等，而且無需支付任何費用。

There are other benefits to designing my own curriculum. The entire universe of Moocs is open to me, and I can tailor my studies to my interests. If I discover that a course does not meet my needs, I can study something different without waiting an entire semester and without wasting any money.

自己設計自己的課程組合還有其他優點。整個MOOC世界都向我敞開，我可以根據我的興趣定製我的學習。如果我發現有哪項課程不符合我的需要，我可以立即更換別的課程，不用爲此等上一整個學期，也不會浪費一分錢。

Some elements of the MBA experience are harder to replicate than others. I miss out on the benefits of the business school network and of being part of a cohort of students. However, through my website, I can connect with other Mooc business students, as well as with professionals involved in the start-up culture that has emerged around Moocs.

MBA學習體驗的某些元素要比另一些元素更難複製過來。我無法享受到商學院人脈資源和成爲學生羣體一份子所帶來的好處。但是，通過我的網站，我可以同其他MOOC商學學生以及被MOOC催生的創業文化吸引進來的專業人士建立聯繫。

Another disadvantage of Moocs is that they do not always require a student to apply the content in a hands-on way. A typical MBA programme is packed with internships, class projects and international travel.

MOOC的另一個不足是，它們不總是要求學生將所學內容應用於實踐。典型的MBA項目則包含實習、課程項目和國際遊學。

To fill that gap, I have sought out ways to apply my skills in real-world settings: at work, through volunteering and in the management of my website.

爲了填補這個不足，我探索了很多方法在現實環境中運用我的技能，比如在工作中、在志願者活動中、在我網站的管理中運用。

The best of these experiences showed me how Mooc students might find a path to employment. To complete the final project for Foundations of Business Strategy, I found a “digital internship” through a platform called Coursolve, which brings together learners and businesses for short projects. The project I chose was to conduct strategic analysis for Coursolve itself. The experience was so positive — on both sides — that I am now consulting for the company part time.

這些經歷的最大好處就是讓我認識到MOOC學生如何能找到工作機會。爲了完成“商業戰略基礎”(Foundations of Business Strategy)這門課的最後一個項目，我通過名爲Coursolve的平臺找到了一個“數字實習”(digital internship)機會。Coursolve幫助學生和企業建立起聯繫，來完成一些短期項目。我選擇的項目是對Coursolve本身展開戰略分析。這次實習經歷僱傭雙方都很滿意，因此，我現在成了這家公司的兼職顧問。

I am often asked whether I will get a degree when I finish my studies. The answer is no, but this has never bothered me. After I “graduate” (likely in May 2016), I have no doubt that I will be able to use my unique experience the next time I search for a job. For a certain type of employer, the creative way I have sought my education and the publicity I have garnered for doing so are more indicative of my potential than a regular MBA degree would be.

我經常被問到的一個問題是，我完成學業後能否獲得學位。答案是否定的，但我從不把這放在心上。在我“畢業”（很可能在2016年5月）後，我敢肯定我能夠在下次找工作時應用我獨特的經驗。對某類僱主來說，我創造性的求學和在此過程中贏得的知名度，要比一個常規的MBA學位更能體現我的潛能。

I went into this project seeking to further my career in international development. In the process, I have developed a keen interest in the business of online learning and in the potential of Moocs to greatly expand access to education worldwide.

我當時涉足這個項目是爲了推進我在國際開發領域的職業發展。在整個過程中，我對在線教學行業以及MOOC大幅增進全球民衆受教育機會的潛力產生了濃厚的興趣。

I live in one of the poorest countries in Africa, and am getting a world-class business education for the price of a high-speed internet connection. To me, that is a game-changer. In the next phase of my career, I look forward to helping rewrite the rules.

我如今居住在非洲最貧窮的國家之一，正在接受世界級水平的商學教育，付出的成本只是高速互聯網連接的費用。對我來說，這是一個能夠改變遊戲規則的嘗試。在我職業發展的下一階段，我期望自己能爲改寫規則出一份力。

Laurie Pickard runs the website

本文作者是網站的負責人