…with over 1,000 postings by learners in the first three days!

The first-ever MIT/Harvard joint edX MOOC, Visualizing Japan (1850s – 1930s): Westernization, Protest, Modernity (VJx), was launched on September 3 with over 9,000 registered. The main instructors are John Dower of MIT and Andy Gorodn of Harvard, with Gennifer Weisenfeld of Duke also contributing, and Shigeru Miyagawa making appearances but playing more of a role in planning and implementing the course. The learners are unusually active with over 1,000 postings in the first three days, virtually all positive and constructive. VJx  is the first MOOC in the Visualizing Japan series, and will be followed by the UTokyo edX MOOC, Visualizing Postwar Tokyo, taught by Shunya Yoshimi, making it a three-university collaboration.