It happens every four years. Iowa voters meet in churches, schools, even living rooms, to be part of the first-in-the-nation stop for US presidential hopefuls. The Iowa Caucuses have helped launch and end the aspirations of many candidates. This initial test in the presidential selection process will be the focus of a new massive open online course (MOOC) at Iowa State University, the Iowa Presidential Caucuses.

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It's Free!

The Iowa Presidential Caucuses MOOC is open to all free of charge. There will be four four-week, self-paced sessions, beginning in September 2015 and leading up to the Iowa Caucuses in early 2016.

Course Objectives:

- Learn about the history of the Iowa Presidential Caucuses.

- Identify the essential elements of a caucus.

- Examine the role of the news media, paid media, and technology

- Discuss the future of the Iowa Presidential Caucuses - Iowa Caucus 2016

Credit & Participation:

Students will not earn college credit, but will receive a Certificate of Participation. Students can register for the course now through January of 2016 and work at their own pace to complete the various units that will feature videos, readings, small lectures and interactive forums for discussion with other participants.