New company to provide more options for students
Educators have been working to make leaning more interactive as technology begins to play a larger role in so many lives. Two Stanford University professors have taken the concept of interactive education seriously, founding a company called Coursera. The new company aims to revolutionize education by providing students with more interactive options online through the use of new technologies. Through the company, the two professors will work to bring some of the best courses from the world’s most prestigious universities to students around the world.
Coursera acquires 13 university partners as well as additional funding
Andrew Ng, co-founder of Coursera, notes that there is currently a great deal of interest in online education coming from students. This interest is largely due to the accommodating nature of online classes, which allow students more flexibility concerning their schedules and capabilities. Coursera recently received $3.7 million in funding as well as acquiring 13 new university partners who will participate in providing courses to the company.
Company has no plans for monetization
Coursera currently has no plans to monetize the courses it makes available online. Instead, the investments it receives will be used to acquire new courses as well as build a platform that will make it easier for students to learn online. The company is expected to pursue the use of interactive technologies, such as augmented reality, in order to make the courses it provides to students more interactive and effective. These technologies could have a profound impact on how students learn.
Augmented reality may help make education more interactive in the future
The world of education is no stranger to augmented reality. The technology has been, sparingly, used to help younger students learn. In this capacity, augmented reality has proven quite effective. Augmented reality has seen limited use in higher education, but may be an equally effective tool as many students are steeped in mobile technology. Whether Coursera will make use of augmented reality technology is currently unknown.
