I am deeply skeptical of online education, especially as it’s being sold both to the public (cheap college in your pajamas!) and to those of us in academia (students want cheap college in their pajamas! We must give it to them!) But certainly the internet can be a very useful tool for learning. I will always advocate good old-fashioned face-to-face classroom time where people talk to one another, argue with one another, and where they can see my facial expressions when I am being a wry smartass (as opposed to the short, cold, angry tone that almost all wry smartass remarks convey online). I would thus encourage you to check out these 100 Open Lectures All About Africa, even if after completing them you won’t have earned a degree.

[Hat tip to my editor, Robert, for the link.]