Reason #2 to enroll in 207x

Continuing my series on the top 10 reasons to enroll in Anthropology 207x (Introduction to Human Evolution), which officially begins on May 6th….

Previous entries:
#10 Origin stories are captivating. Scientific origin stories can be unifying.
#9 It’s open and free!
#8 Our evolutionary past informs how we understand human difference today
#7 You will be sharing the experience with 1000s of others
#6 Human evolution encompasses a fascinating set of questions, bringing together many different disciplines
#5 Human health lies at the intersection of our evolutionary past and contemporary present
#4 207x meets on your time
#3 Understanding evolution connects our past with the present/

Reason 2 – It is worth your time (and not just because it is free)

As I said in an earlier post in this series, 207x actually takes a significant amount of time to complete. Many people naively assume that because it is online, it is more or less instantaneous. Even if you watch all of the video lectures for 207x at double-time, or you bypass those videos altogether and use your speed reading abilities on the transcripts, it takes time.

But it is worth your time. I could have said that prior to the first run of the course, predicated on my knowledge of the time I, and other members of the WellesleyX/EdX production team, put into making the course. Now that isn’t necessary, though. Now I can say 207x is worth your time because of the several thousand learners who experienced it the first time and told me how much they valued their experience. Here are some of their thoughts on the topic:

I would like to thank you Professor and your staff at Wellseley for offering this MOOC. I loved every minute of it. After work, no matter how tired I was, I couldn’t wait to dive into a video or lab. The videos shot outside were a brilliant touch — especially the ones in which we could see and hear our cousins in the background. The labs were excellent. And, the lectures themselves were well paced and always tightly focused on the topic so no getting lost. I also liked their length — not overwhelming at all:) The final video was just amazing! This course has been an intellectual life raft for the past twelve weeks inspiring lots of late night skypes with friends in other countries. I really hope this is just the beginning of evolution courses with you and your team. Thank you so much.

This has been a completely amazing course that has stretched my imagination to the nth about who we are, where we came from, and how we got here through millions of years of evolution. It has changed my entire perspective on our past and present, and given me the beginnings of a window through which to imagine who our ancestors were and what they could have been thinking and experiencing. I’ve always been a fan of this subject, but this course has actually provided a way to think deeply and scientifically meaningfully about these very profound questions. I will definitely follow up in any way possible. Thank you!!

This has been the most satisfying structured educational experience of my rather long, generally unconventional, and ultimately advanced (doctorate degree) academic career. Every aspect engaged my interest, particularly the labs that elucidated some of the genomic techniques that are used in this field of study. Not only has the content been fascinating, but it is also the case that the presentation is polished as well as warm and inviting. From both a personal and a professional standpoint, I have been elevated by this course.

Professor, I’ve taken dozens of MOOCs, and I can honestly say that this class was the best of them all. I am very thankful for all the effort you put into providing a wonderful learning experience for us students. I think this class hit the best balance I have seen between accessibility and challenge, and I really learned a lot.

I am just getting out of the military after 6 years of service, and currently applying to colleges to use my GI Bill. MOOCs provided me a great resource to “shop around” for colleges by allowing me to get a sense of what the coursework is like, and the character of the school and its faculty. Plus, the fact that a university is investing in MOOCs shows that they are on the forefront of education and pushing boundaries!

I enjoyed this class so much that I wanted to apply to Wellesley.

The more time spent with this material, the more powerful it became in terms of expanding one’s sense of where we have been and even where we stand right now. The course was addictive to the point that many other things on the personal TO DO last got set aside. No regrets, however.
Anyone who has ever been a teacher knows how much time it takes to prepare material for students. Thank you APV for all the time you (and your staff!) took so that so many of us could have the opportunity to learn about something that we might not otherwise would have had the discipline to tackle!!

One additional comment. This was a bucket-list item… Check!

I will have additional updates each day between now and May 6, when the course goes live.

Enroll in 207x here!

About Adam Van Arsdale

I am biological anthropologist with a specialization in paleoanthropology. My research focuses on the pattern of evolutionary change in humans over the past two million years, with an emphasis on the early evolution and dispersal of our genus, Homo. My work spans a number of areas including comparative anatomy, genetics and demography.
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