edX Retiring Original MIT Circuits and Electronics Course

MIT's first MOOC, "6.002x Circuits and Electronics"

What happens when it's time for a MOOC to die? Starting this week the original course that thrust MIT into the annals of MOOC history will exist no longer — although an updated version will continue being available. In coverage by Class Central, a site that tracks massive open online courses, founder Dhawal Shah reported that edX would be retiring the platform that hosted MIT's first MOOC, "6.002x Circuits and Electronics."

According to Class Central, the course, which launched on March 5, 2012, drew 155,000 learners from around the world. Students were "blown away" by its functionality, which included free, embedded course materials and a feature that would let users draw and simulate circuits within the browser.

Now, five years later, edX will retire the platform and shut down the servers supporting it on March 15. The reason: security concerns. Members of that MOOC community recently received a letter explaining, "We care about the privacy of our students, and it is simply too cumbersome to maintain security on the original half-decade-old servers. Unfortunately, it has come time to retire the original MITx 6.002x."

All 155,000 students have been shuttled to a new invitation-only instance of the course, giving them "continued access to the course materials" and a way to maintain their participation in the "private social community" made up of the "original MITx 6.002x pioneers."

In the meantime, the course itself lives, though it has undergone considerable updating since its initial launch. Now, students can take Circuits and Electronics 1, 2 and 3, three courses available in a self-paced format.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • student reading a book with a brain, a protective hand, a computer monitor showing education icons, gears, and leaves

    4 Steps to Responsible AI Implementation

    Researchers at the University of Kansas Center for Innovation, Design & Digital Learning (CIDDL) have published a new framework for the responsible implementation of artificial intelligence at all levels of education.

  • server racks, a human head with a microchip, data pipes, cloud storage, and analytical symbols

    OpenAI, Oracle Expand AI Infrastructure Partnership

    OpenAI and Oracle have announced they will develop an additional 4.5 gigawatts of data center capacity, expanding their artificial intelligence infrastructure partnership as part of the Stargate Project, a joint venture among OpenAI, Oracle, and Japan's SoftBank Group that aims to deploy 10 gigawatts of computing capacity over four years.

  • mathematical formulas

    McGraw Hill Intros AI-Powered ALEKS for Calculus

    McGraw Hill has expanded its lineup of ALEKS digital learning products with ALEKS for Calculus, bringing AI-powered personalized learning support to the calculus classroom.

  • glowing digital brain above a chessboard with data charts and flowcharts

    Why AI Strategy Matters (and Why Not Having One Is Risky)

    If your institution hasn't started developing an AI strategy, you are likely putting yourself and your stakeholders at risk, particularly when it comes to ethical use, responsible pedagogical and data practices, and innovative exploration.