Heavens above: Nobel Laureate Schmidt to offer free astronomy classes Nobel Laureate Brian Schmidt will teach an online course in astronomy to anyone with an internet connection for free. ANYONE, anywhere with an amateur interest in astronomy and an internet connection will be able to take classes from Nobel Laureate Brian Schmidt from next year. Professor Schmidt will put his teaching skills online as part of Australian National University's inclusion in edX, a year-old internet teaching platform established by Harvard and MIT. It's what is known as a MOOC, or massive open online course that are revolutionising higher education. MOOCs deliver courses online from the worlds" most esteemed professors and the world's best institutions at no charge. To date, edX has had more than 700,000 individuals use its platform, accounting for more than 900,000 enrolments. Professor Schmidt will teach his ANU first-year physics course with long-term colleague Paul Francis. ANU will also offer Engaging India by McComas Taylor and Peter Friedlander. Professor Schmidt said his course would be pitched at first-year science students and would assume knowledge of calculus and high-school physics. ANU vice-chancellor Ian Young said platforms such as edX were one element in the online revolution that was shaking up higher education. He doesn't think MOOCs would supplant on-campus delivery of degrees, although students would increasingly use MOOCs as part of their coursework. Professor Schmidt's and Dr Taylor's courses will go live in 2014. ANU is one of six universities to join EdX today, bringing its partner institutions to 12.