Get an MBA via an iPod

If you were to talk about the top business institutions in the country the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania would probably be at the top of the list. The school is known for housing some of the greatest minds in the business world, and creating an atmosphere where knowledge is king. But something new is happening at this, and many other schools across the country. They are giving away their information... for free. Wharton, and other schools such as Harvard and UC Berkeley, are putting out podcasts of lectures, speaker discussions and for public consumption clips.

So what does this mean? What is the benefit for the consumer and the institutions for these initiatives? There are actually quite a few. First from a consumer standpoint, free access is pretty exceptional, considering that it would cost you tens of thousands of dollars to attend the classes of these great minds. Second, the format itself is very accessible, since you can listen to a podcast while driving in the car, working out, or posting to your favorite Blog. Finally, the information is current. To have a highly regarded economist, like Jeremy Siegel, let you know what the market is doing this week, as opposed to when his newest book comes out, is very powerful.

From the Institution side this new delve into podcasting is obviously a marketing point. More than that, I think it is inline with the mission of academics and major institutions, to teach others. Never before has there been such a low cost to putting out audio or video to the public, podcasting costs less than publishing a book, and having an audio conversation has a much lower opportunity cost than writing. This means that great minds can have their voice heard by many more people and encourage a greater pool of academic thought.

As this media continues to develop you may see more institutions, and potentially subject matter experts from the business world, put out information for everyone to benefit from.