Distance Learning | News

Georgetown U Joins EdX

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 12/18/12

Georgetown University has joined edX, bringing the number of institutions participating in the not-for-profit online learning initiative to six.

Launched in May by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, edX offers massive open online courses (MOOCs) for free to students anywhere in the world. Aside from offering free courses, edX is designed to allow participating institutions "to research how students learn and how technology can transform learning--both on-campus and worldwide," according to information released by the initiative.

"We welcome Georgetown University to edX," said Anant Agarwal, president of edX. "Georgetown has a long history of research and educational excellence, with a demonstrated commitment to the arts and sciences, foreign service, law, medicine, public policy, business, and nursing and health studies. Georgetown, with its distinguished presence around the world including a School of Foreign Service campus in Qatar, shares with edX a global perspective and a mission to expand educational opportunities."

Beginning in fall 2013, Georgetown will add a series of courses to those already available through the open source platform "and broaden the course offerings available on edx.org," according to a news release about the move.

"It is a privilege to partner with edX and this extraordinary collection of universities," said Dr. John J. DeGioia, President of Georgetown University. "Our Catholic and Jesuit identity compels us to work at the frontiers of excellence in higher education, and we see in this partnership an exciting opportunity to more fully realize this mission. Not only will it enrich our capacity to serve our global family--beyond our campuses here in Washington, D.C.--but it will also allow us to extend the applications of our research and our scholarship."

"EdX is an innovation that will expand access to high-quality educational content for millions around the world while helping us better understand how technology can improve the academic experience for students in classrooms across our campuses," said Harvard President Drew Faust. "Georgetown's commitment to technology enhanced learning, its excellence in education, and its long history as an institution dedicated to public service make it a welcome addition to edX."

Other participating institutions, or "X Universities," include the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Texas System, and Wellesley College.

More information about edX is available at edx.org.