CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – November 17, 2022 – edX, a leading global online learning platform from 2U, Inc. (Nasdaq: TWOU), today announced the 10 finalists for the seventh annual edX Prize for Exceptional Contributions in Online Teaching and Learning. The finalists represent the faculty and educators behind a variety of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), ranging in topics from UX design to earth and environmental sciences. These MOOCs are available for all learners to audit for free at edX.org.
The edX Prize is an annual award that celebrates the contributions and innovations of educators in the edX community and amplifies the powerful role that online learning plays in the transformation of education today. Additionally, the award recognizes educators who have demonstrated a commitment to the open and online education community and have taught courses and programs that continue to inspire and engage edX learners everywhere.
"This incredible group of educators embodies the passion, dedication, and innovation of the edX partner network,” said Anant Agarwal, edX Founder and Chief Platform Officer at 2U. “From Alaska to Hong Kong, our 2022 edX prize finalists represent vastly different institutions and disciplines but are united in their commitment to broadening the horizon of society's knowledge and understanding with free and open courses. On behalf of edX's 46 million learners, we want to thank them for their contributions to expanding access to the world's best education."
Last year, University of Canterbury professors Ben Kennedy and Dr. Jonathan Davidson took home the 2021 edX Prize for their course Exploring Volcanoes and Their Hazards: Iceland and New Zealand. After 10 years of research into virtual field trips and field education, Professor Kennedy and Dr. Davidson designed the course to deliver an immersive and fun virtual science experience focused on volcanic landscapes.
The 2022 finalists include (sorted alphabetically by institution):
- Professor Dr. Thomas Scheibel, Biomaterials and Biofabrication: Design, Engineering and Innovation, University of Bayreuth
- Professor Dirk van Gameren, Global Housing Design, Delft University of Technology
- Professor William Jack, Impact Evaluation Methods with Applications in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, Georgetown University
- Associate Professor Constantinos Coursaris, Associate Professor Camille Grange, Pierre-Majorique Léger, Dr. Annemarie Lesage, and Professor Sylvain Sénécal, UX Design and Evaluation, HEC Montréal
- Professor Aren M. Maeir, Biblical Archaeology: The Archaeology of Ancient Israel and Judah, IsraelX - Bar-llan University
- Dr. Reiner Hutwelker, Professor Dr. Holly Ott, and Professor Dr. Martin Grunow, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification, Technical University of Munich
- Associate Professor Dr. Peter Westley, Salmon, People, and Place, University of Alaska Fairbanks
- Dr. Darren Gravley, Dr. Sam Hampton, and Dr. Kate Pedley, Foundational Field Skills for Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Canterbury
- Dr. Ian Yu-Hong Wong, Professor Stephen Wing-Keung Cheng, and Professor Kent-Man Chu, So You Want To Be A Surgeon?, University of Hong Kong
- Dr. Peter Crosthwaite, Academic English, The University of Queensland
Each year, a panel of select partners helps evaluate the submissions and choose the winner. This year, the reviewers are members serving on the edX Partner Advisory Councils. Evaluation criteria include: effective and engaging teaching methods, communication and community to support learning, course innovation with an emphasis on learner-centered design, and learner success and satisfaction. The winner of this year’s award will be announced in early 2023.
