Let’s forget for a moment how classes are typically taught: in a classroom setting, oftentimes once a week in 2 hour sessions, usually for about a semester. Only text as teaching material. No, let’s forget about that for a moment.

What’s the point of a class? If you had to teach a group of people, how would you teach it? Using what kind of rhetoric, assisted by what kind of technology available to you? How often would you meet? Where would you meet? How often would you have to do the speaking? How would you let your students participate? What would you offer them? How would you engage them? Why do you make the choices you make?
As usual, the Berkman Center is taking a leading role in attempting to answer these questions. Professor Charles Nesson, as inspiring and charming as always, is co-teaching a class with his daughter on CyberOne: Law in the Court of Public Opinion – the class is not just restricted to Harvard students – anybody with an internet connection (and arguably a monster of a computer that can handle the requirements of running Second Life) and an account on Second Life can participate. Really, with this class and the earlier mentioned Berkeley class on Participatory Media, it promises to be a fascinating ride the coming time in terms of re-thinking how classes ought to be taught. Here’s to more classes that enable thinking outside the box!