A quick glance through the list of commitments made by universities and groups at the White House reveals how critical a role ed-tech will play in the White House’s call to action.
The Georgia Institute of Technology will “deliver technology-assisted, college level calculus courses to low-income students.”
Georgia State University plans on utilizing Big Data and predictive analytics to find the right moments to intervene when students are struggling due to financial reasons. Similar uses of data are a part of commitments made by the University of Hawaii and Howard University.
The Oregon Institute of Technology will create a text message program connecting advisers more directly to students who need extra support. The State of Arizona will develop a state-wide system to give better and more flexible access to online courses.
Louisiana State University said it will develop “additional online technologies that target and aid low-income, under-represented, and first-generation students.”
Khan Academy – which offers online classes similar to massive open online courses (MOOCs) – is developing a section of its website that focuses on advising and counseling low-income students.
Dan Rosensweig, the CEO of Chegg, said the White House summit also touched on helping students once they graduate. To that end, Chegg’s “commitment” is a partnership with Internships.com. The collaboration will combine the website’s database of 70,000 internships with Chegg’s resume builder and “student graph.”
“We are empowering students to take control of their own destiny,” Rosensweig said. “By giving students instant access to an internships database on the devices they use, we are investing in the future of students and the American economy.”
Follow Jake New on Twitter at @eCN_Jake.
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