[lug] Ars Technica: "Introduction To Linux" Course Will Be Free

[Robert Racansky]

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/03/2400-introduction-to-linux-course-will-be-free-and-online-this-summer/

$2,400 "Introduction To Linux" Course Will Be Free And Online This Summer
The Linux Foundation is putting its training materials up on edX's platform.

by Megan Geuss - Mar 8 2014, 2:00pm MST


Earlier this week, The Linux Foundation announced [ link ] that it
would be working with edX [ link ], a non-profit online learning site
governed by Harvard and MIT, to make its "Introduction to Linux" [
link ] course free and open to all.

The Linux Foundation has long offered a wide variety of training
courses through its website [ link ], but those can generally cost
upwards of $2,000. This introductory class, which usually costs
$2,400, will be the first from the Linux Foundation to run as a
Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). There is no limit on enrollment
through edX's platform.

The course will be held this summer, although an official start date
has not been posted yet. Jennifer Cloer, Director of Communications
for the Linux Foundation, said that over 2,500 people signed up for
the course within the first 24 hours of it being posted. There are no
prerequisites, and a note on the course's information page says that
most users will find the course takes between 40 and 60 hours to
complete.

Students can either audit the course, which means they'd get access to
all the course materials but not have to commit to completing the
tests and assignments, or they can take the course for a certificate
of completion, which will be offered for free. (On some edX classes,
"verified certificates of achievement" cost a fee.)

If all goes smoothly, the Linux Foundation may consider [ link ]
making more courses available on edX in the future.

In the press release from the Linux Foundation, executive director Jim
Zemlin wrote, "Our mission is to advance Linux and that includes
ensuring we have a talent pool of Linux professionals. To widen that
talent pool and give more people access to the opportunities in the
Linux community and IT industry, we are making our training program
more accessible to users worldwide."

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