What is it like to teach a free online course to tens of thousands of students? Dozens of professors are doing just that, experimenting with a format known as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). In addition, there are more providers than ever, some working with elite universities, and others that allow professors to join in. 

In this series, The Chronicle of Higher Education asked four U.S. professors, teaching on different platforms, to share their thoughts on the experience: 

  • Peter Struck: associate professor of classical studies, University of Pennsylvania, teaching via Coursera 
  • David Evans: associate professor of computer science, University of Virginia, teaching via Udacity     
  • Margaret Soltan: associate professor of English, George Washington University, teaching via Udemy
  • Curtis Bonk: professor of education, Indiana University at Bloomington, teaching via Blackboard