Solving Complex Problems
MIT freshmen team up to tackle a real-world problem in Earth system science and engineering that has no single correct answer. The course, run through MIT's OpenCourseWare and originally developed with support from the d'Arbeloff Fund, trains students in research methods from library work to web design, then applies them to a yearly case study. In the Fall 2003 edition documented here, the class of 2007 worked on Mission 2007, designing the most environmentally sound strategy for oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and running a cost-benefit analysis weighing potential hydrocarbon extraction against environmental damage. Materials include assignments, case history readings, and team project structures, aimed at building a learning community among freshmen, upperclassmen, faculty, and outside professionals. No certificate is offered, consistent with MIT OCW's open publication of course materials.