Re: “Online learning shaking up the world of education,” Jan. 30.
Monday I started a MOOC (massive open online course) at the University of Edinburgh, “An Introduction to Philosophy.” Eighty thousand students are enrolled.
My email inbox is crammed with hundreds of introductory personal statements covering what meals students just ate, major obsessions, relationships, etc. I expected better. There are literally thousands of threads on just the first two lectures (10-minute videos).
The lectures are well prepared and many of the students have thoughtful responses, but yikes! It is as if I am on Facebook, when I thought I was at a university.
Mary Aitken
Victoria
