Learning science company McGraw-Hill Education and Georgia Tech are teaming up on an innovative approach to make elite education more broadly accessible. Both companies are launching an online, undergraduate course in computer science that will debut this spring for current Tech students and be made available in MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) format to help future Georgia Tech applicants earn college credit before they ever set foot on campus.
The online 'Introduction to Computing Using Python' course will feature the same rigorous content as Georgia Tech's on-campus course (a requirement for all undergraduates) and will be created with McGraw-Hill Education's adaptive 'SmartBook' technology. Like many other MOOCs, it will be freely available through edX, the nonprofit online learning destination founded by Harvard and MIT.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there are twice as many annual jobs available in computer science as there are new graduates to fill them. Since the launch of Georgia Tech's online program in computer science (OMS CS) program in 2014, the Institute has become a leading voice in the global conversation about higher education accessibility, affordability, and the future of learning. Since enrolling 380 students in the spring of 2014, OMS CS has grown to nearly 4,000 students in fall 2016, with nearly 12,000 applications to date from people in more than 100 countries around the world.
McGraw-Hill Education's extensive work in developing digital tools for both K-12 and higher education brings a new degree of educational technology expertise to the partnership. As a result, the Intro to Computing course will be infused with tools and programs, like its adaptive SmartBook technology, to provide a more thorough, customized experience for learners.
The Spring 2017 offering of the new MOOC as an online option for Georgia Tech on-campus students will be an important case study for its wider applicability. Offered in conjunction with traditional, in-person sections of Georgia Tech's required CS 1301 course, the technology-enhanced option will be completely voluntary and will allow students to transfer to an in-person section if they wish. Georgia Tech students who successfully complete the section will receive a letter grade and degree credit.
McGraw-Hill Education's adaptive learning technologies translate traditional learning methods into a highly interactive, personalized experience with a digital reading component powered by the company's SmartBook technology. The SmartBook software uses research-driven machine intelligence to weave together learning and assessment, resulting in a personalized learning pathway. SmartBook, in combination with a robust pedagogy and learning environment, supports the development of confident learners who are more likely to progress and complete a curriculum.
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