Michigan State University's Writing Department is testing out a new way to educate its students and, potentially, the masses.
Professors Julie Lindquist and Jeff Grabill are teaching an experimental online course this summer called "Thinking Like a Writer." It is free and open to the public.
Lindquist is quick to admit the downfalls of online classes. They're often large and impersonal, and relationships between students and instructors can be sacrificed for efficiency.
But Lindquist says the course is designed to be a learning experience for both the instructors and the students.
“We're hoping to learn a lot about what it means to learn writing, what it means to teach and learn writing at scale, what kinds of learning environments are possible,” says Lindquist, “It's a little different I think from what other universities are doing, and I hope we can learn something from it. “
Lindquist says the class will be driven mostly by students' writing samples and peer reviews of those samples. The course spans from July first to August thirty first.
