"Georgia Tech is committed to using technology and advanced platforms to enrich and expand educational opportunities,” said Georgia Tech President G. P. “Bud” Peterson. “Through Georgia Tech’s Office of Professional Education, we already offer courses to more than 25,000 students worldwide. Steps such as this agreement will enable even more students throughout the world to have access to Georgia Tech’s expertise, and help to meet the needs for lifelong learning.”
"It seems clear that higher education is currently experiencing the first ripples of a wave that could drastically alter the method, scope and scale of educational access and delivery, " said Rafael L. Bras, provost and executive vice president of academic affairs for Georgia Tech. "Georgia Tech has been in the business of offering online courses and education for some time. By joining Coursera we seek to expand our presence in that space, provide increased global access to our excellent educational products, experiment with new methods and ideas in the delivery of education and, most importantly, enhance the learning options and convenience for our own students."
Georgia Tech’s initial courses include Computational Photography, Computational Investing, Energy 101 and Control of Mobile Robots. The Institute plans to add online courses across a range of disciplines to the online platform.
“Georgia Tech’s recently announced partnership with Coursera is an exciting development. Much has been said and written about online and open-campus efforts being developed around the country and their impact on the future of higher education," said Gary S. May, dean of the College of Engineering. "While many uncertainties remain, it is important for Georgia Tech to play a leadership role in this national experiment and its evaluation. The College of Engineering will therefore encourage efforts to establish an on-line presence of courses and learning materials as a part of its strategic vision.”
Other institutions partnering with Coursera are the California Institute of Technology, Duke University, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Princeton University, Rice University, Stanford University, UC San Francisco, University of Edinburgh, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, University of Toronto, University of Virginia and the University of Washington.
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