Smart List: 20 HigherEd Innovators

Getting Smart is acknowledging people and organizations making a difference with the second annual Smart Lists. During October and November you’ll see about 20 ‘Best of’ lists, not in order, not exhaustive, just people we appreciate doing innovative work.
Today we’re recognizing platforms, programs and organizations leading the effort in making  college possible for all students.

Platforms

• Coursera: 10 million learners, 846 courses from 114 universities *
• edX: 94 current courses, 163 beginning soon, 106 archived with 56 universities
• Udacity: about 50 courses
• Instructure: Canvas LMS and open courses on Canvas.net #
• Echo360: active learning
• Fidelis education: relationship management

Premium Innovators

• Minerva: next gen university for the world’s brightest students
• Olin College: a new kind of engineering education

Low-Cost & Competency-Based

• Western Governors University: pioneers in competency-based credits
• StraighterLine: affordable gen-ed courses
• Arizona State: the most innovative public university
• SNHU and College for America: online and competency-based innovators
• Degreed: credit for what you know and can do

Program Management

• American Honors: affordable path to brand name degree for low income students
• Embanet & Propero: Pearson’s online and low cost gen-ed solution #
• 2U: supporting innovative brand name graduate programs
• Bisk Education: taking higher education online

Support Orgs

• Educause: the highered edtech folks & host of Next-Gen Learning Challenges #
• Lumina: redesigning higher education
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: supporting talented low income students

 
 
This Smart List was published in partnership with Getting Smart Services. Getting Smart provides advocacy, advisory, consulting and public relations services to turn ideas into impact. We help for-profit and non-profit organizations construct cohesive and forward-thinking strategies for branding, awareness, advancement and communications.
* Learn Capital Partner, # Getting Smart Partner, ** Board member or Advisor