D2L Will Integrate the Zoom-Based Class.com Platform this Quarter

Canadian LMS platform D2L Brightspace (Desire to Learn) will integrate within its learning ecosystem the Zoom-based Class.com solution in the first quarter of 2022. Both companies did the announcement last week, highlighting, "D2L and Class Join Forces to Provide Comprehensive Digital Learning Built on the Zoom Platform." No further transactional details of the deal were released. Class.com, powered by Washington DC-based Class Technologies Inc, adds teaching functionalities on its Zoom platform. These features include automating attendance, measuring student engagement, quizzes, and polls. D2L Brightspace already has 1,800 integrations. John Baker, President and CEO of D2L, said that its existing Zoom partnership would extend with the Class.com platform, supporting educators and learners "new ways of engaging in synchronous learning." Michael Chasen, Founder and CEO of Class, stated: "D2L Brightspace's ability to manage and deliver content such as lectures, videos, assignments and assessments 'on-demand', in conjunction with Class' engaging real-time virtual sessions, allows learners to receive the best learning experience." "We are excited to see our partners delivering not only closer interoperability between the three platforms, but also a seamless buying experience for our joint clients," said Christy Flis, Head of Global Education at Zoom.    

Anthology Learning Platform Creates a Virtual Summit on Policy and Practice

Open edX & Learning Platforms Newsletter | February 2022: Maple Version, 2U edX, Coursera, Docebo, eLearning Brothers, 360Learning, Duolingo…

Online Learning Newsletter | February 2022: MIT, U-M, LMS Market, Stanford, DoD, Ellucian, Cengage, Pearson…

Coursera Doubled Its Losses in 2021 While Valuation Decreased in Half

Coursera (COUR) increased its net loss to $145.2 million (or 35% of revenue) in 2021, compared to $68.8 million (or 22.8% of revenue) in 2020. Total revenue was $415.3 million in 2021, up 41% from $293.5 million in the prior year. Enterprise revenue (Coursera for Business) grew 70% year-over-year to $120 million. In the fourth quarter of 2021, net loss was $47.7 million or 41.5% of revenue, compared to $26.7 million or 32.1% of revenue a year ago. In the same period, total revenue was $115.0 million, up 38% from $83.3 million a year ago. Coursera's financial results, announced yesterday, were negatively received by the stock market, which pushed the share price down 6.46%, until $19.70. The results did not meet Wall Street expectations, said The Associated Press. Since it went public in April 2021, Coursera has lost over 56% of its value. Today, market capitalization is half of its IPO, $2.77 billion. In its best moment, it reached a whopping valuation of $5.8 billion. Ken Hahn, Coursera’s CFO, said that "our outlook for 2022 anticipates revenue growth of 30% year-over-year, reflecting the long-term demand we continue to see for online learning." The revenue outlook for the full year of 2022 is in the range of $536 to $544, with an EBITDA negative in the range of $45.5 to $51.5 million. • Per segments, consumer revenue for the fourth quarter was $65.8 million, up 24% from a year ago on strong demand for our portfolio of entry-level Professional Certificates and continued adoption of Coursera Plus. • Enterprise revenue for the fourth quarter was $35.9 million, up 72% from a year ago on robust growth across the business, campus, and government customers. The total number of Paid Enterprise Customers increased to 803, up 107% from a year ago. • Degrees revenue for the fourth quarter was $13.3 million, up 43% from a year ago on the scaling of student cohorts. • News about Coursera at IBL News  

The President of MIT, Rafael Reif, Will Step Down at the End of 2022

L. Rafael Reif will step down as the President of MIT at the end of 2022, after ten years in the position. This week, he announced his decision in a letter to the Institute's community, without specifying any reason. No media outlet offered any explanation behind the move. After stepping down, Reif, 71, will take a sabbatical, then return as a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Reif said his plan to stay through December allows the MIT Corporation, the school’s governing body, to conduct a search and smooth the transition to the next president. Meanwhile, he named Professor Cynthia Barnhart as MIT's incoming Provost, starting on Monday, March 7th. Cynthia Barnhart will join Chancellor Melissa Nobles, Vice President for Research Maria Zuber, and Vice President for Open Learning Sanjay Sarma in guiding the academic mission of MIT. A native of Venezuela, Reif first came to the United States to earn his doctorate in electrical engineering at Stanford University, where he learned English. His parents were Jewish refugees who fled Eastern Europe in advance of the Nazi regime. Three of the family’s four sons would go on to earn PhDs in the United States — including one who earned a Ph.D. at MIT. Reif arrived at MIT in 1980, when he joined the faculty as an assistant professor of electrical engineering. In 2012, he became MIT’s 17th president. Before that, he served as Provost for seven years. He was instrumental in the success of edX.org. During his tenure, MIT's endowment grew from $10.3 billion to $27.4 billion.

Google Will Support "Responsible AI" Courses Developed by 15 Universities along with NHC

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"Introduction to Linux" Course, With One Million Learners, Launches a Version in Spanish

2U Inc. Reports a Loss of $194.8 Million and Revenue of $945.7 Million in 2021

2U Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU) — the owner of edX.org — on Wednesday reported a loss of $67.3 million in its fourth quarter of 2021, after an increase of $29.6 million on the same period in 2020. In the same time frame, revenue increased 13% to $243.6 million. Degree program segment revenue increased 17% to $152.4 million. And alternative credential segment revenue increased 8% to $91.2 million. Wall Street received these results well, and 2U's stock went up 3.69% yesterday, until $17.98 per share. Overall, the stock lost 70% of its value in the last year. Market capitalization is only 1.36 billion. For the full year of 2021, the Lanham, Maryland – based company reported a loss of $194.8 million, or $2.61 per share, with an improvement of $21.7 million. Revenue was reported as $945.7 million, increasing of 22%. In terms of the outlook for 2022, 2U expects full-year revenue in the range of $1.05 billion to $1.09 billion, representing a growth of 13% at the midpoint. Net loss will range from $235 million to $215 million. Christopher "Chip" Paucek, 2U's Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, provided this view: "Our strong 2021 results were led by healthy revenue growth in both our degree and alternative credential business, with demand for our undergraduate offerings particularly compelling." "With the closing of the edX transaction in November 2021, we are laser-focused on transforming 2U into the leading global education platform company, positioned to drive powerful societal impact and superior value for all our stakeholders, by delivering learners affordable, flexible, and career-relevant online education offerings, while helping universities and businesses strengthen their institutions for the digital age." Paul Lalljie, 2U's Chief Financial Officer, added, "with the addition of edX and our transition to a platform company, we have established a strategic and financial framework for achieving our mid-term goals and creating shareholder value."  

A Growing Digital Skills Crisis: A Majority of the Workforce Feels Unprepared

A survey conducted by Salesforce last month based on 23,000+ workers across 19 countries reveals a growing digital skills crisis. The pandemic has accelerated this gap, addressing the need for a digital transformation. In addition, it has given businesses a unique opportunity to rethink how they connect with their employees, customers, and communities. In the research, a total of 76% of global workers say that they feel unequipped and unprepared to operate in a digital-first world. However, only 28% of them are actively seeking skills training, according to Salesforce’s 2022 Global Digital Skills Index survey. The survey also highlights a generational skills gap. Two-thirds of respondents say they’re unprepared for social media skills that the workplace will require over the next five years. Only 31% feel "very equipped" for a digital-first job right now. A recent Salesforce-commissioned RAND Europe Report estimates that 14 G20 countries could miss out on $11.5 trillion cumulative GDP growth if the skills gap isn’t addressed. This comes as emerging technologies such as blockchain, AI, and the cloud, are amplifying businesses’ demand for specific digital skills — up to 50% in Europe and the United States, according to McKinsey.  