MITx prototype course opens for enrollment

Online-learning initiative’s first offering, ’6.002x: Circuits and Electronics,’ accepting registrants now.

In December, MIT announced the launch of an online learning initiative called "MITx." Starting this week, interested learners can now enroll for free in the initiative’s prototype course -- 6.002x: Circuits and Electronics.

Students can sign up for the course at mitx.mit.edu. The course will officially begin on March 5 and run through June 8.

Modeled after MIT’s 6.002 -- an introductory course for undergraduate students in MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) -- 6.002x will introduce engineering in the context of the lumped circuit abstraction, helping students make the transition from physics to the fields of electrical engineering and computer science. It will be taught by Anant Agarwal, EECS professor and director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL); Chris Terman, CSAIL co-director; EECS Professor Gerald Sussman; and CSAIL Research Scientist Piotr Mitros.

"We are very excited to begin MITx with this prototype class," says MIT Provost L. Rafael Reif. "We will use this prototype course to optimize the tools we have built by soliciting and acting on feedback from learners."

To access the course, registered students will log in at mitx.mit.edu , where they will find a course schedule, an e-textbook for the course, and a discussion board. Each week, students will watch video lectures and demonstrations, work with practice exercises, complete homework assignments, and participate in an online interactive lab specifically designed to replicate its real-world counterpart. Students will also take exams and be able to check their grades as they progress in the course. Overall, students can expect to spend approximately 10 hours each week on the course.

"We invite you to join us for this pilot course of MITx," Agarwal says. "The 6.002x team of professors and teaching assistants is excited to work with you on the discussion forum, and we look forward to your feedback to improve the learning experience."

At the end of the prototype course, students who demonstrate their mastery will be able to receive a certificate of completion for free. In future MITx courses, students who complete the mastery requirement on MITx will be able to receive the credential for a modest fee.

Further courses are expected to become available beginning in the fall.