In this inaugural episode of the Open Learners podcast, hosts Emmanuel Kasigazi and Michael Jordan Pilgreen interview Maria Eduarda Barbosa, a medical student located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Maria tells in her own words how MIT OpenCourseWare changed the trajectory of her life, particularly how she might never have achieved her full potential if one of her teachers had not recognized her abilities and urged her to pursue more challenging studies. Googling “Calculus introductory course,” Maria discovered one of Prof. Gilbert Strang’s videos on MIT OpenCourseWare, and it opened a vision of new horizons for her. She became a near-daily user of MIT OpenCourseWare, and the experience transformed her intellectual life, inspiring her to become passionate about her own education and to share that passion with others around her. Maria describes how the experience has not only awakened her curiosity and self-motivation, but also given her a better attitude about the gaps in her existing knowledge. Now, she says, she doesn’t think, “Oh, I'm lost because I'm stupid”; instead she thinks, “I'm lost because I haven't learned this yet.”

The Open Learners podcast is produced by Alexis Haut.

Relevant Resources:

The OCW Educator portal

Prof. Andrew Lo (MIT faculty page)

15.401 Finance Theory I on MIT OpenCourseWare

Prof. Gilbert Strang (MIT faculty page)

RES.18-005 Highlights of Calculus (including “The Big Picture of Calculus”) on MIT OpenCourseWare

Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions

Share Your Open Learning Story

To share your own open learning story with Michael and Emmanuel, send them an email at open_learners_pod@mit.edu.

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If you have a suggestion for a new episode or have used OCW to change your life or those of others, tell us your story. We’d love to hear from you!

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