AN ACADEMIC BUFFET

A sure sign that summer is winding down is the appearance of the CNE, Toronto’s annual August exhibition. In my teaching days, it signaled a time to dust off my binders, organize a few notes and begin preparing mentally for the stimulation and challenge of the classroom.

Although now retired, I still feel that call to learning at this time of the year. In a recent conversation with friend Larry Romano, he introduced me to an innovation called MOOC.

Wikipedia defines a MOOC as a massive open online course aimed at large-scale interactive participation and open access via the web. In addition to traditional course materials such as videos, readings, and problem sets, MOOCs provide interactive user forums that help build a community for the students, professors, and teaching assistants.

Though not credit bearing, such courses are free and are offered by respected universities such a Stanford, Princeton and MIT. Course offerings range from the science of gastronomy to the study of the ancient Greek hero, from thermodynamics to criminal law, from animal behavior to robotics. In fact, the list of possibilities seems endless.

Like a diner at a buffet, I wonder if I should try an appetizer like creative writing or music appreciation, an entrée like political science or economics or a dessert like calculus or number theory.

Please feel free to share with me with you’ve had some experience with such on-line courses available at sites like www.mooc-list.com/

For now, my sweet tooth is drawing me to the desserts but my brain is telling me I should go for an appetizer.