MITx

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MITx is an online learning platform developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The platform delivers MIT courses organized by MIT professors as part of an ongoing goal to bring quality education to as many interested students as possible. The platform, which opened in 2012, effectively functions as a massive open online course (MOOC) program, in that the information is presented as videos and interactive assignments and can be accessed for free by almost anyone in the world, provided one has an internet connection.[1]

## Background[edit]

In 2001, MIT created an online learning platform known as "OpenCourseWare," or OCW. OCW contains a catalog of MIT course material that any given user can access. MIT students use it to supplement their standard coursework, but users outside of the institute have found it useful as well. As such, MIT has continued to expand the resource to this day. OCW now contains information from over 2,150 distinct courses and has been accessed by over 125 million different users.[2][3]

With the advent of MOOCs and increased Internet accessibility, MIT began exploring a way to expand upon the OCW platform through MITx. At the end of 2011, MIT announced the new platform, MITx, which was designed with both education and research in mind. The results of MITx could be used to increase the effectiveness of online learning whether it be through reducing drop-out rates, improving method of delivery (what kinds of information works well in an online environment versus what doesn't work well) or increasing the effectiveness of blended learning, which is the term for incorporating online learning with traditional classwork.[1][4]

MITx functions on open-source software developed by MIT. Open-source software earns its name by being "open" to other software engineers and developers. MITx was purposefully made open-sourced so that other institutions might use its framework to develop other learning programs and improve upon education technology tools. MITx developers hope that future software designers will improve upon and diversify the ways by which students can learn online.[4]

## Learning through MITx[edit]

Introductory video for a game design course on MITx, published August 2014.

As mentioned above, MITx is a MOOC program at its core. Information is distributed to students through videos and interactive activities that can take the form of anything from writing assignments to virtual labs. Most required course material can be accessed for free over the Internet, and students can typically progress through the course at their own pace. Grades for most assignments are calculated automatically, giving students immediate feedback. If a student performs poorly, he has the opportunity to revisit the material with which he was struggling. In the event that a course does not grade assignments automatically, peer reviews and grading is often a requirement for that course.[5][1]

All of MITx's courses are provided by MIT faculty, and the institute asserts that each course delivers the same material at the same level of difficulty as on-campus courses. With that in mind, the organization offers certificates of completion as a way for individuals to prove that they've completed coursework from MIT. While the courses themselves are free of charge, the certification is available only after paying what MIT describes as a modest fee once one has completed the course. It is therefore up to the individual as to whether or not he or she will pay for the credential. It is important to note that any certificates awarded by MITx are not a substitute for the credits earned by completing coursework on campus.[4]

MITx also offers long-term course tracks called "sequences" that mimic traditional college course tracks. These sequences teach a comprehensive set of skills for a specific subject. When completed, an individual will ideally have a firm grasp of the subject. These sequences can take anywhere from six months to two years to complete. As an incentive for completing this coursework, MITx rewards individuals with proof of the skills and knowledge obtained in these courses. These credentials are more comparable to official MIT degrees, although they are still not completely equal. As with the other forms of certification that MITx awards, these sequence credentials require a certain fee. Unique to these programs is the need for individuals to adhere to certain ID verification requirements so that, once a sequence is complete, MITx knows that the individual has truly earned the certification.[6]

## Criticism[edit]

MITx has met with criticism since its inception. In fact, Woodie Flowers, an emeritus professor of mechanical engineering from MIT, wrote an essay in opposition to MITx for MIT's own faculty newsletter. In his essay, Flowers discusses the difference between education and training. In his opinion, training represents the acquisition of skills and knowledge on a certain subject. Education, then, is a more subtle thing that is most likely to be accomplished when a student works with a mentor, such as when a doctoral student works under a tenured professor. The example he gives to explain the difference is the following:

“  | Learning spelling and grammar is training while learning to communicate requires education.[7] | ”

|
|

The purpose of these definitions is to deliver his point that MITx attempts to give students both training and education, but does not excel at providing either. At best, he believes that the program delivers training, but the complexity of certain subjects and courses requires education.[8]

## See also[edit]

* Online learning
* Blended learning
* Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)

## External links[edit]

* MITx related courseware
* All MITx courses on edX

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 MIT News, "MIT launches online learning initiative," accessed October 24, 2014
2. ↑ MIT OpenCourseWare, "About: Our history," accessed October 24, 2014
3. ↑ MIT OpenCourseWare, "About," accessed October 24, 2014
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 MIT News, "MITx FAQ," accessed October 24, 2014
5. ↑ edX.org, "MITx: Building mobile experiences," accessed October 24, 2014
6. ↑ Softwaresecure.com, "Imagine all the credentials: edX and MITx re-imagine courses and certification with integrity," accessed October 24, 2014
7. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
8. ↑ MIT Faculty Newsletter: Teach Talk, "A contrarian view of MITx: What are we doing?!" accessed October 24, 2014

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