EdX

Prof. Gilbert Strang received a standing ovation after delivering his last lecture after over 60 years of teaching at MIT, reports Saleen Martin for USA Today. “Teaching has been a wonderful life,” wrote Strang in the comments section of his last lecture on YouTube. “I am so grateful to everyone who likes linear algebra and sees its importance. So many universities (and even high schools) now appreciate how beautiful it is and how valuable it is. That movement will continue because it is right.”

Boston.com reporter Eli Curwin spotlights how after 63 years of teaching and over 10 million views of his online lectures, MIT Prof. Gilbert Strang received a standing ovation after delivering his last lecture. Prof. Michel X. Goemans, head of the Department of Mathematics, notes that Strang “has had a tremendous impact on the teaching of mathematics to tens of thousands of students at MIT through his lectures, to countless of students at other academic institutions through his textbooks, and to millions of people all over the globe.”

Prof. Anant Agarwal, founder and CEO of edX, speaks with Kirk Carapezza of GBH News about how edX began working with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in March 2022 to offer all Ukrainian colleges access to its platform. “When the unfortunate war started in the Ukraine, we felt that we had to act,” said Anant Agarwal, founder and CEO of edX. “These are courses and programs on our platform that Ukrainian students who are registered at the universities can now take up completely for free.”

Boston Globe reporter Laura Krantz reports that edX will be transferred to the education technology company 2U, and proceeds from the transaction will be used by a nonprofit aimed at addressing education inequalities and reimagining the future of learning.

Wall Street Journal reporter Melissa Korn writes that 2U, an education technology company, will acquire edX for $800 million. The proceeds flow to a new nonprofit, led by MIT and Harvard, which will “focus on reducing inequalities in access to education. It will maintain the open-access course platform built by edX, research online and hybrid-learning models, and work to minimize the digital divide that still serves as a barrier for many younger students and adults,” writes Korn. 

Writing for Forbes, Anant Agarwal, president of edX, explores how to get the most of our online learning opportunities for workers. “The reality is, learning itself is a skill to practice and hone,” writes Agarwal. “But there are five proven steps based on established learning science principles of practice, application, and reflection that you can leverage to make the knowledge more ‘sticky.’” 

Mashable reporter Joseph Green highlights the wide range of courses available on edX. “You can take comprehensive courses on everything from machine learning with Python to creating policies for science, technology, and innovation, without spending a penny,” writes Green. “We don't need to tell you how much of a great opportunity this is.”

Writing for Fast Company, edX President Anant Agarwal about how educators can use technology to create the most engaging educational experience for students who are learning both in person and remotely. “This unprecedented period in history has taught us that online education is a thoughtful practice of designing learning experiences for the medium,” writes Agarwal.

Axios reporter Steve LeVine highlights how MIT is offering a new edX course focused on the future of work. The course will “track technological history going back to the 19th century, income inequality, labor groups, automation, German manufacturing and more,” LeVine explains.

National Geographic reporter Catherine Zuckerman spotlights the work of research scientist Felice Frankel, a photographer who captures images that are intended to captivate and inform viewers about complex scientific advances. Frankel explains that the goal of her new book is to help scientists “understand that beautiful images can engage the public.”

Prof. Anant Agarwal, president of edX, writes for Forbes about the rise of nonlinear career paths and how professionals can adapt to a changing workforce thanks to new online learning options. “Affordable and accessible education opens the doors to develop the latest in-demand skills,” Agarwal writes, “as well as transferable skills that are valuable and applicable in every job situation.”

EdX and seven partner universities are now offering nine fully fledged master’s degrees starting at just $9,000, reports Forbes contributor Josh Moody. “Existing industries are evolving while new fields are emerging, and there is a clear demand for the advanced knowledge needed to succeed in this new workplace,” says MIT Prof. Anant Agarwal, CEO of edX.  

In an article for The Boston Globe, Hiawatha Bray highlights how Prof. Anant Agarwal, president of edX, explained that online education can be a critical component of retraining workers for a more technologically advanced workplace during a Globe-sponsored panel discussion. “We have a planet-scale reskilling effort on our hands,” said Agarwal. “The only way to do that is really online education.”

Prof. Duane Boning, faculty co-director of MIT’s Leaders for Global Operations (LGO) program, talks to Forbes contributor Jim Lawton about preparing future leaders and workplace learning in the digital age. “The LGO model,” says Boning, “gives students a different way of thinking about their roles.”

WGBH News reports that Massachusetts residents will soon have the opportunity to take online courses through edX. General Electric, Microsoft and Partners Healthcare, “will pay for thousands of Massachusetts residents to take online courses in artificial intelligence, health care management and other in-demand fields.”