Thanks to broadening internet access, advances in multimedia, and the market potential of millions of historically underserved learners, a revolution in education is occurring, reports the New York Times -- one that is transforming education from a seller's to a buyer's market. Until now, observers say, education has been a seller's market. You beg to get in to college. Deans decide what you must know. They prevent you from taking better courses elsewhere. They set prices high to subsidize unprofitable activities. Above all, they exclude most humans from their knowledge--the poor, the old, people born in the wrong place, people with time-consuming children and jobs. Champions of digital learning want to turn that model on its head, allowing anyone, anywhere to take whatever course they want, whenever, and over any medium. Make universities compete on quality, price, and convenience, they say. Let students combine credits from various courses into a degree by taking an exit exam. "This is putting the consumer in charge, as opposed to putting the supplier in charge," said Scott McNealy, the chairman of Sun Microsystems and an influential proponent of this approach...

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