What's has only a single, passing mention in the article, and none here, is how this fits in to MIT's curriculum. The content is supremely useful, but does not

What's has only a single, passing mention in the article, and none here, is how this fits in to MIT's curriculum. The content is supremely useful, but does not properly fit into a traditional college semester 10-week course schedule. MIT has this weird 'half semester' in which to fit this, and similar shaped content, for all disciplines. It is largely student run, as we see here. > Independent Activities Period (IAP) is a four-week period in January during which faculty and students are freed from the rigors of regularly scheduled classes for flexible teaching and learning and for independent study and research. IAP is part of the academic program of the Institute—the "1" month in MIT's "4-1-4" academic calendar. Students are encouraged to explore the educational resources of the Institute by taking specially designed subjects, arranging individual projects with faculty members, or organizing and participating in IAP activities. They may also pursue interests independently either on or off campus. http://catalog.mit.edu/mit/undergraduate-education/academic-research-options/independent-activities-period/ http://catalog.mit.edu/mit/undergraduate-education/academic-...