Why the Next Big Thing May Be Huge
New e-learning options give professors global reach — and enough students to fill a sports stadium .
By Erin Peterson
For years , Jason Hill , McKnight Land-Grant Professor in the U of M ’ s College of Food , Agricultural , and Natural Resource Sciences , has taught a class that examines the sustainability of food systems on a global level . Nothing thrills him more than when students from another country weigh in with insights they ’ ve gained
10 about the topic from personal experience .
“ The best days are when somebody who is from Tanzania , for example , stands up and says , ‘ Yes , this is an issue we really deal with ,’ or ‘ I think you got it wrong . Here ’ s why .’” Such comments provide insights that go beyond what ’ s found in textbooks and journal articles .
That ’ s part of the reason Hill is excited to teach a modified version of the course on Coursera , a massive open online course ( MOOC ) platform that will allow him to offer the class to tens of thousands of students around the world . The only requirement is an Internet connection . While his students will gain from his teaching and scholarship , Hill expects to benefit as well . “ The opportunity to teach a course like this to a truly