by Brian Caterino

No, academia hasn't quite been assimilated to the model of McDonald's fast food outlets, but the latest step in the commodification of knowledge has come into view with the recent announcement by Barnes & Noble of its new on-line "University". Barnes & Noble will be offering free, nonaccredited, courses to the public, on-line, though its Internet site. Courses on a variety of topics hope to appeal to a potential audience ranging from adult learners to high school students.

The Barnes & Noble "University" is a joint venture with on-line course provider notHarvard.com, in whom Barnes & Noble recently acquired a minority stake. According to a May 30th Reuters news report, Barnes & Noble will become notHarvard's primary distributor of course materials to its network of on-line universities. In the past, notHarvard has developed on-line courses primarily for businesses hoping to attract customers to their Web sites. Some of its clients include Jobs.com, TalkCity.com, and Bloomberg.com. NotHarvard hopes to do the same for its new partner, Barnes & Noble. According to Judy Bitterli, CEO of notHarvard.com, the purpose of notHarvard on-line courses is to promote "brand loyalty" to companies such as B&N. "They help Barnes & Noble.com build their brand and, ultimately, we hope, they will help sell goods and services."

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