EXPERIMENTER-IN-CHIEF: MIT just got its first digital dean, even if he happens to be packing real flesh and blood. Sanjay Sarma, the Fred Fort Flowers and Daniel Fort Flowers Professor of Mechanical Engineering, has been appointed MIT’s first director of digital learning. He plans to work closely with the other online learning projects brewing at MIT including the edX online-learning platform; MITx, the Institute’s course offerings on that platform; and other online tools, according to the university. MIT’s OpenCourseWare office will report to Sarma. Isaac Chuang, professor of electrical engineering and computer science, becomes associate director of digital learning. Adds the press release: "On the subject of blending online learning and residential education, he will also serve as experimenter-in-chief.."
