Research: Platforms At Scale Will Radically Transform Learning and Teaching

IBL News | New York

Researchers from Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and Cornell have conducted an extensive study that shows the power and potential of at-scale educational platforms – edX, among others – to accelerate learning and radically transform the way we learn and teach around the world.

The research investigated at ways to help learners to complete online courses. Helpful tools for completion include the following:

Plan-making, creating detailed approaches to how coursework will be completed and when it will happen
Social accountability, choosing a ‘buddy’ to hold you accountable for completion
Value-relevance, reflecting on the value you hold in completing the course

“Our present study confirms a principle that is central to social psychology and the learning sciences: Context matters,” researchers say.

As Anant Agarwal, CEO at edX, wrote in a blog post, the researches advocate for continued experimentation, especially regarding the role of AI and Machine Learning on completion at scale.

All analysis code, output, and study materials are available on this website.

IBL News | New York

The research investigated at ways to help learners to complete online courses. Helpful tools for completion include the following:

Plan-making, creating detailed approaches to how coursework will be completed and when it will happen
Social accountability, choosing a ‘buddy’ to hold you accountable for completion
Value-relevance, reflecting on the value you hold in completing the course

“Our present study confirms a principle that is central to social psychology and the learning sciences: Context matters,” researchers say.

As Anant Agarwal, CEO at edX, wrote in a blog post, the researches advocate for continued experimentation, especially regarding the role of AI and Machine Learning on completion at scale.

All analysis code, output, and study materials are available on this website.