edX announced today what looks like a promising new open course — Introduction to Biology: The Secret of Life. Hosted by professor Eric Lander, one of the leaders of the Human Genome Project, this course will give students a grounding in “topics taught in the MIT introductory biology courses and many biology courses across the world.” The course will cover everything from the basics of DNA to the intricacies of genomics. And it won’t run you any money. But it will require some time — about 6-8 hours per week, across 12 weeks (March 5 – May 28). Plus here’s a nice perk: any student who earns a passing grade will receive “a certificate of mastery,” also free of charge. You can enroll in the course right here.
We have added Introduction to Biology: The Secret of Life to our ever-growing list of MOOCs/Free Certificate Courses, along with another primo edx course, a MOOC version of Michael Sandel’s Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?. Be sure to check it out.
As a high school biology teacher, I am simply looking at interesting websites that may offer some insight that may assist my current curriculum.