Penn opts for decentralized, 'nimble' approach to online learning - KYLE HARDGRAVE, Daily Pennsylvanian

While some peer schools are hedging their bets that online education is part of the future, Penn is taking a more decentralized approach. On Jan. 19, Apple announced the launch of 100 free college courses through iTunes U — the latest in a recent trend in which schools are opening their classes and educational materials to global audiences online. Peer institutions like Stanford and Yale universities were among those that partnered with Apple. For its part, Penn’s smattering of online learning opportunities is growing from the ground up, through a number of different venues. One of Penn’s oldest offerings in free online education is Knowledge@Wharton, the Wharton School’s online business journal. The publication, which began in May 1999, publishes interviews, lectures and articles that tackle issues in the business world. “The goal is to take the school’s intellectual capital and make it available for free online,” said Mukul Pandya, executive director and editor-in-chief of Knowledge@Wharton.