Development of massive open online courses (MOOCs) is
taking a new direction with the creation of BostonX, a partnership between the
City of Boston and edX to offer free online courses available at community
colleges and libraries throughout the city.
The partnership would make MOOCs more available to
residents of and visitors to Boston, providing courses for those who don’t have
high-speed Internet connections or computers at home by creating mini campuses
throughout the city. Mayor Thomas Menino is also hopeful BostonX will increase
the city’s standing in the nation and world as a leader in education
innovation.
“Higher education is at a point of transformation, and
our city should be at the center of that,” Menino told Boston Magazine.
“Colleges and universities are tackling the big questions of cost, of quality,
and of how to make use of a wave of new technology. In Boston, we have always
led in higher ed, and we should lead to its reimagination.”
Boston could be considered a logical starting point for
the initiative because of the many colleges and universities already in and
around the city, including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, both founding members of edX.