Dive Brief:
- EdX, a joint venture between Harvard and MIT, is set to be the first MOOC provider to offer an organized high school curriculum as it expands its scope beyond higher ed.
- There are 26 high school courses in total, covering computer science, calculus, geometry, algebra, English, physics, biology, chemistry, Spanish, French, history, statistics, and psychology.
- The goal of the high school offerings is to address "readiness gaps" that occur when high school students come unprepared for college.
Dive Insight:
The courses are open to anyone around the globe and were created by 14 institutions, which include Georgetown, Rice, and Boston universities; the University of California-Berkeley; Wellesley College; and Weston Public High School. CEO Anant Agarwal told the Boston Globe that the courses aim to address the "readiness gap" some students face when they arrive at college, saying, "When students are not prepared, and if they have to take remedial courses, they’re highly likely to not succeed."
In addition to closing the readiness gap, this tool could also be used to engage gifted students who may be ahead of the class. For example, some of the courses are meant to supplement Advanced Placement courses, so if a school doesn't offer AP classes, it doesn't mean a student needs to miss out on the opportunity to get college credit.
