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2U, Inc.: Partnering with the world’s best institutions to expand access to quality online education

2U, Inc.: Partnering with the world’s best institutions to expand access to quality online education

As the parent company of edX, 2U works with top-tier partners to offer high-quality online education and services that span free courses to degree programs. 2U’s mission-driven, student-focused culture drives them to help partners thrive in the digital age.

2U Mission

Eliminating the back row in education is more than a metaphor; it’s their mission. 2U is committed to helping its partners create educational opportunities that enable lifelong learners to unlock their human potential and solve society’s critical needs.

At 2U, the team is a diverse collection of innovators, dreamers, and doers all working to improve lives through higher education.

Principles

It’s no secret that the hybridization of higher education happened almost overnight with the sudden arrival of COVID-19. Given the pandemic has ultimately created a “new normal” for the higher education industry, online instruction can no longer be viewed as merely a forced experiment or temporary fix—rather, a transformational approach worthy of institutions’ commitment and investment. But to date, many of the online learning experiences universities offer are still no more than direct replicas of the residential classroom. Research, data, and technology allow us to do so much more than this simple translation.

Last month, 2U, Inc. Senior Director of Course Strategy Rachel Koblic led a session at the virtual ASU+GSV Summit on 2U’s Learning Experience Framework (LXF), their evidence-based approach to learning design that distills decades of research and data from thousands of online courses. Watch the video below to learn how universities can use principles of learning science to transcend replication and achieve truly transformative digital education that enhances the student learning experience.

2U approach

Everyone has different learning needs throughout their life. The company guides their partners to create online education that helps lifelong learners advance their skills, unlock their potential, and meet critical needs that impact larger communities.

Courses: Challenging, free or paid online learning courses designed for self-paced learning.

Professional Certificates: Intensive, focused opportunities for upskilling mid-career professionals.

Professional & Executive Education: Structured: Certificate courses earned to show core competencies.

Boot Camps:

Technical reskilling in data analytics, UX/UI, cybersecurity, and more.

MicroBachelors®: Undergraduate-level micro credential for career advancement or a degree path.

MicroMasters®: Graduate-level micro credential for career advancement or a degree path.

Undergraduate Degrees: Online degree programs with top universities.

Graduate Degrees: Professional degree programs that build subject matter expertise.

Solving society’s needs

2U believes in the power of higher ed to help solve society’s critical needs. They help partners do just that—with programs like rigorous, online nursing degrees to meet the healthcare shortage and intensive, tech boot camps at HBCUs and HSIs.

Reaching students where they are

Lifelong learning means thinking beyond a single degree. It means helping students unlock their human potential—whether through a free course or a degree—and gain skills to explore an interest, change careers, or evolve their expertise.

Learning Design

2U teams leverage insights from the latest research in learning sciences, combined with more than a decade of industry-leading expertise, to deliver effective and engaging learning experiences using 2U’s state-of-the-art technology.

2U’s Learning Experience Framework (LXF) is built around science-supported ideas that students learn best when they are doing, thinking about what they are doing, and feeling positive about the experience. Collectively, Feel, Do, and Think drive their approach.

The edX Story

In 2012, Professor Anant Agarwal and his colleagues from MIT and Harvard realized it was time for a seismic shift in learning—from tried and true to the leading edge; from “for some” to “for all.”

They had a vision: a platform that offers their courses online, open to any person for free. In February of 2012, Professor Agarwal’s MIT Circuits and Electronics course was launched, and edX.org was born.

As edX grew into a world leading online learning platform and education marketplace, they continued to redefine online education with innovations like MicroMasters® and MicroBachelors®—the first-ever credit-backed, stackable online credential.

Their student-first, mission-driven culture perfectly aligned with 2U’s, so in 2021, 2U acquired substantially all assets of edX. Today, edX is the global online learning platform and primary brand for 2U, transforming digital higher education and expanding access and affordability across the globe.

Enabling transformation

Your edX learning experience is grounded in cutting edge cognitive science. With more than two dozen distinct learning features to help you achieve your goals, their approach follows three key principles:

Experience

Learn new knowledge and skills in a variety of ways, from engaging video lectures and dynamic graphics to data visualizations and interactive elements.

Practice

Demonstrating your knowledge is a critical part of learning. edX courses and programs provide a space to practice with quizzes, open response assessments, virtual environments, and more.

Apply

Learning on edX transforms how you think and what you can do, and translates directly into the real world—immediately apply your new capabilities in the context of your job.

Bringing change through education

Every individual has the potential to create change, whether in their life, their community, or the world. The transformative power of education is what unlocks that potential. Yet, access to high-quality education has been a privilege of the few. Back in 2012, edX realized it was a time for a seismic shift in learning. From the tried and true to the leading edge. From “for some” to “for all.” By opening the classroom through online learning, edX empowers millions of learners to unlock their potential and become changemakers.

Q. Why 2U-powered boot camps?

2U acquired Trilogy Education in 2019 after discovering a mutual student-first culture and belief in the power of the great university. Quickly, they were able to support their university partners and their students with rigorous boot camps that teach the tech skills needed to succeed in an ever-changing world.

Today, the company powers 150+ online boot camps in eight fields including: Coding, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Digital Marketing, FinTech, Product Management, Technical Project Management, and UX/UI.

2U expert instructors are passionate about equipping you with the digital skills needed to secure life-changing career opportunities. They use versatile, market-driven curricula that are constantly iterated on using feedback from students and their network of employer partners, ensuring you gain tech skills to make meaningful contributions at work. But hard skills aren’t all that’s needed to succeed. Their boot camps also equip you with the soft skills to work collaboratively and communicate across teams.

From job-related coaching to events with hundreds of employer partners, 2U provides the support to help you achieve your goals with their industry-leading Career Engagement Network (CEN). The impact is easy to see—grads work at 6,000+ companies including Amazon, Google, Apple, AT&T, and Nike.

Q. What is a short course?

Information changes fast. And with it, so do critical skills needed to succeed in a variety of professional environments. With GetSmarter, evolving your career through lifelong learning is as simple as signing up for an online short course. Through 2U’s data-driven course selection, powerful partnerships with world-class universities, and innovative course design and delivery, they will help you redefine your future with a variety of 6- to 12-week, non-degree certificate programs that you can take from anywhere.

Q. Why GetSmarter?

Cutting-edge course offerings. World-class universities. Powerful technology. With GetSmarter, the company partners with leading universities to select, design, and deliver premium online short courses with a data-driven focus on creating real success for students. Leveraging a unique education model that marries technology and academic rigor, 24/7 support from 2U’s student success team, and a hyper-relevant course selection process, GetSmarter creates powerful learning experiences and proven successes for students. Here, a combination of meaningful, real-world instruction and support empowers them to succeed far beyond the classroom.

With an industry-leading completion rate, 2U’s online short course programs are designed to be as engaging as they are instructive. And by reviewing each of the company’s courses regularly, they ensure that all course content is current and industry relevant, equipping students with the latest knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques, and enabling them to thrive in their careers.

“This is a great way to give your employees a non-traditional approach to develop their skills, build their personal development, and take their careers to the next level.”

— HABIB SARKIS, SVP & CTO, CORETECH INFRASTRUCTURE, GE DIGITAL

Chip Paucek, Co-Founder & CEO

Christopher "Chip" Paucek is the co-founder and CEO of 2U, Inc., described by Forbes Magazine as the “nation’s leading provider of software for universities” delivering digital higher education at scale.

Paucek's innovative work at 2U has earned him many accolades, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2012, the Goldman Sachs 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs Award in 2013, and multiple Highest Rated CEO awards from Glassdoor. In 2017, Paucek was named among America's best chief executives by Institutional Investor magazine, ranking third among mid-cap technology, media, and telecom companies. He is a leading voice and speaker on entrepreneurship and the global education and technology landscape. Paucek also sits on 2U’s Board of Directors.

Paucek has been involved in education ventures since the early 1990s. In 2004, Paucek took a break from the business world to serve as deputy campaign manager for the successful re-election of United States Senator Barbara Mikulski.

Paucek holds a B.A. from The George Washington University and an M.B.A. from the 2U-powered MBA@UNC program at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School.

“For more than a decade, 2U, Inc. has been the digital transformation partner of choice to great non-profit colleges and universities delivering high-quality online education at scale.”


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