Description
edX is a massive open online course (MOOC) provider created by Harvard and MIT. It hosts online university-level courses in a wide range of disciplines to a worldwide student body, including some courses at no charge. It also conducts research into learning based on how people use its platform. edX is a non-profit organization and runs on the free ‘Open edX’ open-source software platform.
Role in the future of work
Through their open-source platform and collaborations with both academic institutions and corporations, edX provides access to affordable, high-quality education for anyone with an internet connection, but it also gives any organization the tools to build their own innovative learning sites and courses, to train both their own employees and external talent pipeline.
Growth to date
In 2012, Professor Anant Agarwal with support from colleagues from MIT and Harvard launched the first circuits and electronics course on edx.org and more than 155,000 learners from 162 countries enrolled. In 2013, the edX platform was released as open-source software, and today, it powers more than 2,400 learning sites worldwide. Since then MicroMasters and MicroBachelors programs have also been launched, giving learners a pathway to earn a full Master’s or Bachelor’s degree.
Barriers and challenges
While many companies are dedicated to developing their workforces, few have assessed their skills gaps and communicated to their employees which courses they need to take to qualify them for a promotion or higher paying job within the company.
Looking to the future
Open-source learning platforms will be vital in the future, not only for workers to gain the skills to succeed in the workforce but also for organizations and governments to up-skill and reskill individuals as the job landscape changes.
Click to edX's website for more: https://edx.org/