“Dozens of British universities began offering free online courses on Wednesday through a collective portal, joining a global trend started in the United States that opens higher education to the masses. Pre-registration opened on Tuesday and in one day 20,000 people from 158 different countries signed up — even though the portal site will not be completed for several months. Until then it will run in beta phase, without all the finishing touches, so organisers can see how it works. The scheme brings British universities in line with many of their rivals in the United States, where so-called massive open online courses (MOOCs) are hugely popular.”
