McGill launches first MOOC

McGill University has opened registration for its first MOOC, offered on the edX platform, which also carries MOOCs from Harvard, MIT, and uToronto, among others. McGill joined edX earlier this year, and plans to offer 4 MOOC courses by the end of the year. The first course, CHEM181x, is based on a popular course from the World of Chemistry series offered at McGill. Provost Anthony C. Masi gave 3 reasons for McGill’s new venture: “To keep pace with the technological shifts that are occurring in higher education; to protect gains and our reputation for being at the cutting (not bleeding) edge of innovations in pedagogy related to these trends; and to improve the on-campus experience by participating with like-minded institutions who see a real value in campus, but who understand that for born-digital students we have to evolve.” McGill News