EdX currently offers nine classes, six of which are in computer science. While Wellesley’s course offerings have yet to be finalized, the college will most likely offer four that draw from topics in the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences, according to Van Arsdale. Lydgate said that faculty from across Wellesley were encouraged by the provost to submit course proposals.
In addition to expanding accessibility to top-quality higher education programs, edX hopes to use data collected from the thousands of virtual enrollees to study and enhance in-person pedagogical methods at each university.
“A blended classroom can be significantly better in quality to a traditional online classroom,” Agarwal said, for reasons such as encouraging active learning and providing instant feedback to students.
Van Arsdale is confident that other liberal arts colleges will follow Wellesley’s example. “Wellesley might be the first, but I’m sure it won’t be the last,” he said.
—Staff writer Radhika Jain can be reached at radhikajain@college.harvard.edu.
—Staff writer Sabrina A. Mohamed can be reached at smohamed@college.harvard.edu.