Established in 2010, the Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U) is Georgia Tech's living laboratory for fundamental educational change.
Serving as a research arm of the College of Lifetime Learning, C21U's technologists and researchers support the Institute's innovation mission by pushing the boundaries of what is already done in higher education to bring learners the most impactful resources and technologies.
We serve as a nexus of collaboration and communication and a catalyst for innovation, bringing together an array of internal and external partners across various disciplines.
Through a sustained and systemic program of research, experimentation, design, prototyping, and implementation, C21U serves the Institute in thought leadership, educational technology design, community building, and support of Georgia Tech stakeholders of all ages.
Featured Research
The significance of metacognitive processes in online learning cannot be overemphasized. This study delves into the application of metacognitive processes as manifested in the active participation of online students within discussion forums. It aims to unravel the correlation between the utilization of metacognition, cognitive presence, and overall course performance, scrutinizing these dynamics across distinct courses and diverse online settings.
Recent News
C21U Recipient of UPCEA Research and Scholarship Award
The Award recognizes significant new research with implications for professional practice in online and professional continuing higher education.
Teaching and Learning in the Age of AI: Insights from Steve Harmon at the 1EdTech 2024 Learning Impact Conference
C21U's executive director explains how AI's exponential growth can revolutionize education by enabling personalized learning and fostering essential 21st-century skills.
Surfacing barriers to adoption: lessons learned from end-to-end deployments of Learning and Employment Records (LERs) as Verifiable Credentials
As members of the Digital Credentials Consortium, we are eager to share the Consortium’s recent advancements in developing and deploying Learning and Employment Records (LERs) as Verifiable Credentials (VCs). The latest project has highlighted the transformative potential of VCs in securely sharing skills and achievements. Despite challenges such as the need for technical resources and clearer communication of VCs’ benefits, the pilot projects have successfully demonstrated the full lifecycle of VCs. These efforts are crucial in making LERs more accessible and meaningful for learners, issuers, and employers alike.
AI Oral Assessment Tool Uses Socratic Method to Test Students' Knowledge
C21U collaborated with computer science master's student Ray Hung and other researchers to develop "Socratic Mind," an AI-powered oral assessment platform designed to enhance students’ understanding, critical thinking, and communication skills through Socratic questioning.
Using Generative AI in Education: Learning by Doing
At 1EdTech's 2024 Learning Impact Conference, panelists in the "Intersection of AI and Education" session argued that using AI is essential for understanding and preparing for the future. Sandra DeCastro, vice president of marketing and higher education programs at 1EdTech, spoke with Tom Andriola of the University of California, Irvine, who moderated the discussion, and panelists Ryan Lufkin of Global Academic Strategy at Instructure, Steve Harmon of Georgia Tech, and Shawna Dark of UC Berkeley to share their insights in this article.
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