Bringing Active Learning to India

The Connected Learning Initiative (CLIx) aims to improve the professional and academic prospects of high school students in underserved communities in India. In collaboration with the Tata Institute for Social Sciences (TISS) and funded by the Tata Trusts, CLIx will leverage Open edX and other educational technologies to offer young people active learning experiences, and to advance the knowledge, skills, and values they require to succeed as professionals and citizens.

Launched in January 2016, CLIx is expected to reach up to 165,000 students in grades 8–11 in four Indian states by 2019, providing content in English, Hindi, and regional languages. Close to 4,000 teachers will receive professional development through the program.

“At MIT, we believe online learning technologies can offer teachers and learners the tools to transform the educational experience,” says MIT President L. Rafael Reif. “CLIx is the most ambitious effort to date to put these ideas into practice.”

The ambitions of the project’s directors spread beyond the classroom—even beyond the online learning experience. “True success in this effort will not be simply measured in student learning outcomes,” says Eric Klopfer, co-principal investigator of CLIx. “Our common goal is to create an ecosystem of teachers, educators, and researchers who believe in the meaningful use of technology to further educational goals.”

Published in April 2016.

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