Search results for: Wimpfheimer Barry Scott

People usually have puzzled reactions when I tell them that I’ve produced a MOOC on the Talmud. This term, it seems, is not that widely known. Juxtaposing “MOOC” with Talmud leads to the assumption that I’ve referred to some Hebrew or Aramaic concept. Typically, I follow my statement that I’ve produced a MOOC on the Talmud with a little Rashi-style commentary: “MOOC,” I’ll say, “stands for Massive Open Online Course.” MOOCs came of age in 2012, when three companies (edX, Udacity and Coursera) associated with premier private American universities began hosting online courses that combine university content with the bells and whistles of internet content delivery. In the past year, several Jewish Studies MOOCs have launched on both edX and Coursera. These include a couple of classes on the Hebrew Bible, a class on the Arch of Titus and my own course on the Talmud, The Talmud: A Methodological Introduction.