My father often reminisced about how he had to do his homework under a streetlight in the dead of winter. I’m not sure how many books he had, but I doubt it was more than a handful. We were more fortunate—access to books during our school years was relatively easier. Yet, even then, books were expensive, and finding the right information often required significant effort and research.
Today, however, gaining access to education and learning new things is incredibly easy for us and our children. Thanks to tools like Google Search, YouTube tutorials, curated knowledge platforms like Listelist, online books, and their summaries and reviews, almost any information is accessible and learnable. Furthermore, formal education is now supplemented by videos, instructional websites, and practice tests. The pressing question for the near future is: will schools become a supplementary tool, or will online education take the lead?
The transformative impact of the printing press on societies is being mirrored and accelerated by the internet today. In 2014, I sent the following email to my colleagues:
Subject: A New Era of Learning Opportunities
Dear colleagues,
I’d like to share some information about a platform I discovered and have been using for a while.
A few years ago, a friend attending a seminar mentioned the idea that universities would extend far beyond the confines of campuses and buildings. The rapid advancement of information technologies makes this vision increasingly plausible. We can now envision scenarios where someone living in Gebze, Alanya, or Tatvan can receive a quality university education, with exams and attendance enforced through technologies like sensors, image recognition, and identity verification systems.
In our professional lives, we often encounter new challenges or recognize gaps in the education we received. To address these, we require not just on-the-job learning but also some academic grounding. Yet, the constraints of time and money frequently hold us back.
With my dream of sending my son, Teoman, to a hypothetical “Alanya branch of METU”—a small facility with classrooms for Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, etc.—I discovered Coursera. This platform, which has rapidly grown to reach millions worldwide, offers:
- Courses delivered by professionals, universities, and academics from around the globe.
- Lessons predominantly in video format, supported by presentations.
- Quizzes and final exams for most courses.
- Flexible start and end dates, with mandatory adherence only if you seek certification. Past courses remain accessible anytime.
- Free access to all courses, with optional certification for about $50 per course via their Signature Track system.
- Increasing availability of subtitles in Turkish, though most courses are in English.
Interestingly, universities and academics, who initially saw Coursera as a threat, now view it as an opportunity. Esteemed institutions and professors upload courses, extending their reach across the globe. The platform generates revenue through partnerships with employers and recruiters seeking talent.
I’ve enrolled in several courses and spend about 30 minutes daily at home learning new concepts and understanding the scientific foundations of topics I’m less familiar with. I wanted to share this with you in case you’d like to explore it: www.coursera.org.
For those interested, I’m happy to help with further details.
Additionally, I recommend an online course relevant to the energy sector: Electricity Trading (EE710) by Professor Osman Sevaioğlu. Available through METU’s OpenCourseWare platform, it covers topics like vertical unbundling, pricing power, competition, and market architecture—valuable for anyone interested in the parallels between the gas and electricity sectors: OCW – METU Electricity Trading.
Best regards,
Gökhan Ekici
Since sending that email, I’ve witnessed our company’s training portal integrating online courses, including language learning and other skill-building programs. Meanwhile, the number of online education platforms has surged, with institutions like MIT offering courses online and MBA programs becoming increasingly accessible. Platforms such as Udemy, Khan Academy, and Harvard Business Online have democratized education, providing affordable or free access to world-class learning.
While online education holds immense potential, the key lies not in what is provided but in what is gained. For instance, spending $5–$10 on an Excel course and passively watching videos is insufficient. Success requires dedicated time and active application of what is learned.
The next decade will bring transformative changes across all aspects of life. Staying informed, acquiring new skills, and embracing online education will be vital. Digitalization, automation, and shifting workplace demands will challenge individuals to constantly learn and adapt. For many of us, online education platforms are a remarkable opportunity—offering location-independent, time-flexible, and cost-effective learning experiences.
I believe we must seize these opportunities to stay ahead in an evolving world. After all, knowledge grows when shared.
Wishing you all a future full of growth and learning!