Lanham, Md.–April 24, 2023–edX, a leading global online learning platform from 2U, Inc. (Nasdaq: TWOU), today announced the launch of Try It courses: 1-2 hour free online introductory courses designed to give learners exposure to foundational skills in a variety of high-demand topics, such as Python, UI/UX Design Thinking, HTML, GitHub, and more. Now, learners can preview these skill areas for free before making the decision to enroll in a full-length program on the topic, such as a technical boot camp, offered by one of edX’s partner institutions. 

“edX is committed to creating meaningful, accessible on-ramps to online education opportunities offered by hundreds of the world’s top universities and leading companies on edX.org,” said Anant Agarwal, Founder of edX and 2U’s Chief Platform Officer. “These courses are a low-risk way for millions of edX learners to explore new, in-demand professional skills and be connected to one of our partner’s full-length programs if they wish to continue their learning journey.”

According to the World Economic Forum, over half of all employees worldwide will need to reskill or upskill by 2025. In a recent study by IBM, 40% of respondents said the greatest barrier to professional skill development is knowing where to start. edX’s Try It courses create opportunities for learners to gain familiarity with technical subjects and help ensure they are pursuing a journey that aligns with their individual goals before investing additional time and resources in full-length programs. Each course includes one hour of instruction and one hour of practical exercise, followed by a brief assessment. 

Currently, Try It courses are designed as easy entry points into full boot camps offered with edX and in partnership with over 50 non-profit colleges and universities around the world. edX plans to launch additional Try It courses that connect learners with a variety of content  across edX’s free to degree portfolio edX.org, including executive education courses. edX partner institutions, including The Ohio State University College of Engineering and University of Kansas Jayhawk Global, plan to launch Try It courses in the coming months. The Try It courses available today include:

• Try It: Intro to Design Thinking

• Try It: Intro to Python

• Try It: Explore Google Looker Studio

• Try It: Intro to Trello

• Try It: Zoom Basics

• Try It: Learn SQL

• Try It: Intro to Spreadsheets

• Try It: Intro to GitHub

• Try It: Finance Fundamentals

• Try It: Intro to Branding

• Try It: Learn Linux Command Line

• Try It: Cybersecurity Basics

• Try It: Intro to HTML

• Try It: Jira Fundamentals

• Try It: Fundamentals of Figma

• Try It: Asana Basics

• Try It: Intro to Google Analytics