History According to Jim, Vol. 1, No. 15

     Yesterday I learned that a new MOOC would be starting in October. Unlike previous MOOC which I have taken, this one will be offered by Missouri State University. The subject is the Civil War in Missouri and it will be available via the Canvas Network. This course will begin on October 19th, 2015 and last for eight weeks. The cost is zero dollars and there are no textbooks to purchase. 


     While this is not college credit equivalent, the opportunity to learn more about the Civil War in Missouri is one I am not going to pass up. MOOCs are very useful and convenient ways to learn as there are no class times. It is all about the student taking an opportunity to learn from an instructor. In this case, the instructor is Jeremy Neely, who earned his Ph.D at MU-Columbia in 2005. He specialized in Missouri's Civil War history and has published three books on the subject.

     You can learn more about the course here Missouri's Civil War. As many Americans are still in denial over the cause of the Civil War, it is no surprise that many Missourians fail to understand that Missouri did not secede during the war.  The war in the East was felt in the state of Missouri, but in very different ways. The seccessionist minority plunged the state into the horrible guerrilla war which severely depopulated areas of the state and resulted in the murder of many men. For Missourians, the results of the conflict would last far beyond the war years into the 20th century.

     Missouri State offers more than just this course as well. Through their outreach program they offer another MOOC on Laura Ingalls Wilder of Little House on the Prairie fame. More information on their programs can be found here;  Missouri State Outreach

     Several members of the Saber & Scroll Historical Society will be attending the class. I will also pass out the information to the Knox County Historical Society. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more Missouri history. From what I understand, there may be a possibility of future courses offered in this mode of instruction on Missouri history. The MOOC platform is a great way to share information with a large group of people in a way that is very convenient for them. I hope to see many of you in the class on October 19th!