CMU, Pitt officials involved in project focused on emerging technologies in education

Local university officials will help lead a global effort to adopt and advance standards for emerging technologies in education.

Referencing a need to develop new paths for learning, Carnegie Mellon University President Subra Suresh on Monday announced the Simon Initiative, named for the late CMU Nobel laureate Herbert Simon. It consists of three parts:

• At CMU, the initiative will focus on faculty research accelerating and enhancing cognitive learning through technology.

• A comprehensive database on technology-enhanced learning developed by CMU and the University of Pittsburgh will be opened to researchers worldwide.

• A Global Learning Council, including leaders from academia, industry and technology, will convene early next year to study best practices and standards for emerging technologies that many believe could open higher education to millions worldwide.

The Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), for example, offer free online access to university instruction. Penn State, Pitt and West Virginia are among the schools involved.

“There was a sense that this is the right time for there to be a body that can step back and not try to not promote a particular product or a particular manifestation of a MOOC or other technology-enhanced product, but rather to try to focus on what works,” said CMU Provost Mark Kamlet.

In addition to Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg, members of the Global Learning Council include top executives from Google, Microsoft and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among others, and representatives from the Association of American Universities, the Association of Public Land Grant Universities, Stanford University, the National University of Singapore and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Debra Erdley is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-320-7996 or derdley@tribweb.com.