July 2000–June 2003
The Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department created a Web-based delivery system for lectures, based on audio narrated slides and interactive uses of different combinations of online presentations based on narrated Microsoft® PowerPoint® slides and interactive assignments that provide immediate feedback, and deployed it in several core departmental subjects. This included completely eliminating live lectures in the introductory computer science course from fall 2000 through spring 2004, and continuing to use the material as lecture supplements. All students clearly agree there are strong advantages to the online lectures. It permits them to repeat missed details, clarify confusions, and works with the course material on their own schedules. The system also includes a platform (xTutor) for developing and administering online homework assignments with interactive tutorial feedback, and these assignments are now a staple feature of several department subjects.
Lectures and interactive problems in introductory computer science, artificial intelligence, and circuit design have been made publicly available via MIT OpenCourse- Ware, where they have been accessed by thousands of self-learners, and iCampus is working more formally with universities in China and Australia to support delivery of the lectures and tutoring problems at these institutions.
Investigators: Prof. Tómas Lozano-Pérez, Dept. of EECS; Prof. Eric Grimson, Dept. of EECS; Prof. Leslie Pack Kaelbling, Dept. of EECS; Dr. Christopher J. Terman, Dept. of EECS