by Jill DiSanto, UPenn
For the first time last fall, the University of Pennsylvania invited Quakers from around the globe to participate in an alumni-exclusive version of a massive open online course. From Oct. 6 to Nov. 2, Penn offered a modified, four-week, intensive version of “History of the Slave South” taught by Stephanie McCurry of the history department in Penn Arts & Sciences. McCurry’s course is a popular choice among Penn undergraduates, and the 10-week course offered online through Penn’s Open Learning Initiative has attracted thousands of people of varied backgrounds worldwide. So it was a natural choice for an exclusive version for alumni. Almost 700 alumni ranging from the Class of 1940 to the Class of 2014 and from 15 countries signed up.