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5 Resources from MIT Open Learning for Digital Learning Day

March 14, 2023

To celebrate the 12th annual Digital Learning Day, which takes place this Mar. 15, we would like to share some curated resources from MIT Open Learning, to help with using digital tools to boost workforce learning. MIT has been a pioneer in digital learning for more than 20 years and was a key partner in launching EdX, among the most well-known online platforms in higher ed. 

Digital learning is perhaps more important than ever. In 2021, 220 million people across the world had enrolled in a MOOC. During the pandemic, unprecedented numbers of students took courses online, permanently increasing demand for online learning. And disruptive technologies—most recently, generative AI like Chat GPT—continue to challenge us to reconsider how and what we teach.

Workforce learning is sometimes absent from conversations about digital learning, but it shouldn’t be. Online classes, because they can fit varied schedules, have proven popular with industry and adult learners. Globally, two out of five Fortune 500 companies use digital learning to train employees, and 77% of employers in the U.S. used it in 2017.

Moreover, digital learning is not just a means but an end as well. Among the most in-demand skills of the future, projected by the World Economic Forum, are cloud computing, data science, and AI. Since nearly half of students, according to a McKinsey survey, say they will invest in their education only if it will improve their careers, schools must teach critical digital technologies to seem worth the investment.

MIT Open Learning has led research and advocacy on digital learning for years. Even if you’re familiar with MIT Open Learning, you may be surprised to see how it has grown and how it can help you learn, teach, and design your own workforce learning program. Here are some notable programs.

  1.   Digital Credentials Consortium (DCC)

In a new skills-focused era, the DCC, a network of 12 leading universities, is striving to update credentialing, by making skills more visible with verified and secure digital credentials. The DCC has been piloting a secure way to verify digital credentials, called the Learner Credential Wallet (or LCW), to make it easier to display individuals’ skills credentialed by trusted sources. The LCW is in a piloting stage but shows strong growth potential. 

  1.     MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW)

MIT OCW offers free teaching and learning materials—including textbooks, lessons, lectures, and courses—along with other resources to help integrate these materials in the classroom. The resources can be searched and browsed here. OCW also hosts a podcast, Chalk Radio, and a YouTube channel where MIT faculty share insights on teaching.

  1.   MIT J-WEL (Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab)

J-WEL supports an international community of leaders across sectors to change education worldwide. Among its most accessible resources is a database of webinars and presentations, on topics ranging from computational thinking, AI, and digital pedagogy to education policy and scaling education.

  1.     MIT RAISE (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education)

As AI migrates and takes root across industries, companies will increasingly need an AI-literate workforce. Though primarily focused on K-12 education, MIT RAISE offers resources for teaching about AI, many of which are relevant to vocational-technical education for adult learners.

  1.     MIT Integrated Learning Initiative (MITili)

MITili funds and publishes research into learning effectiveness from a range of fields, from brain science to policy studies. Though not focused solely on digital learning, MITili offers robust resources for improving workforce learning programs. It has supported a broad range of research (reports can be found here), including research on workforce education for advanced manufacturing, community college’s role in apprenticeships, and virtual reality for learning.

  1.     Global Opportunity Initiative (GOI)

Launched in June, 2022, the GOI is a new effort to help adults grow in their careers. A good complement and collaborator with the amazing student-focused offerings of MIT Open Learning, the GOI offers webinars, events, podcasts, interviews, short articles, and research on workforce learning. The GOI is also helping employers combine digital tools with hands-on experience to manage their workers’ learning and development. In a co-authored paper in Harvard Business Review, George Westerman, founder of the GOI, describes how digital technology has allowed learning to become more personalized, optimized, and granular than ever. Now, using the right combination of digital, in-person, and other learning, we have greater opportunities than ever to help people grow in their careers. In light of these changes, Westerman has encouraged chief learning officers to be more strategic and agile partners in helping their organizations develop the skills they need to thrive. 

Hopefully, this gives a taste of what MIT Open Learning offers beyond its well-known MITx courses and MicroMasters® Programs. Wishing you an enriching Digital Learning Day!

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