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A Catalyst for Impactful Innovation
Established in 2010, the Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U) is Georgia Tech’s living laboratory for fundamental change in education.
Serving as a research arm of the Office of the Provost, C21U’s team of technologists and researchers support Georgia Tech’s mission of innovation by pushing the boundaries of what is already done in higher education in order to bring the most impactful resources and technologies to learners.


We serve as a nexus of collaboration and communication, and a catalyst for innovation, bringing together a broad array of internal and external partners across a wide variety of 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.
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Recent News
Working Groups Established to Explore Lifetime Learning Unit
The Georgia Institute of Technology is announcing its intention to launch a new academic unit dedicated to lifetime learning. The new unit will bring together three entities whose work underpins its mission and vision: Georgia Tech Professional Education (GTPE), the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC), and the Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U).
Georgia Tech Art Exhibition 'Extension of Self' Explores What it Means to be Human in a Digital World
“What does it mean to be human in a digital world?” That question is the focus of the new exhibition at Georgia Tech, “Extension of Self.” Curator Birney Robert is using art to promote STEM accessibility in a new show on view through Oct. 14, with the promise of another next year.
Georgia Tech's C21U to host brownbag seminar on the impact of ChatGPT and large language models on higher education
Get ready to join Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U) for an insightful lunchtime brownbag seminar! In this event, we will delve into the fascinating topic of the impact of ChatGPT and large language models on higher education.
The Future of Digital Credentials: Employer Perspectives and Insights from C21U's Research
C21U researchers presented their findings to Digital Credentials Consortium (DCC), a collective of higher education institutions across North America and Europe working together on building the digital credentialing infrastructure for education systems of the future.
They shared results from Employer Connect, a research project exploring perceptions of digital credentials from the perspective of employers, hiring managers and job seekers. Their research has resulted in valuable insights on the barriers to adoption and the usability of digital credentialing technology, including the DCC Learner Credential Wallet.
Times Higher Education podcast: is AI in higher education worth the hype?
We may be a long way from understanding exactly how higher education can harness AI and machine learning’s great potential safely, but this episode's guests say that continuing to test and explore it is the only way to make progress
Why My Hobbies Make Me a Better Scholar
Non-academic skills, both motor and cognitive, can enrich research capabilities in unexpected and often unexamined ways, writes Stephen W. Harmon.
In the Loop: How Formative Feedback Supports Remote Teaching
During the pandemic, assessment of student learning became even more important than usual as instructors sought tools to gauge student success in a remote, unexpected (and, for many instructors, new) educational environment. Prompted by Georgia Tech’s emergency shift to remote instruction, our team at the Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U) piloted a key performance indicator (KPI) tool designed to provide instructors with expanded insight into student learning and success in remote courses.
Upcoming Events
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Featured Research

This study aimed to understand the relationship between course activities and learning progress among students enrolled in the MicroMasters certificate program offered in an affordable MOOC-based learning platform. In order to capture the relationship, the differences between the engagement patterns of learners in the MicroMasters program compared to a non-degree MOOC were examined by utilizing machine-learning (ML) techniques in the clickstream database. The ML analyses revealed discrepancies in activity patterns and progress rates of students enrolled in MicroMaster and MOOC courses.
Research & Innovation
The mission of C21U research is to enhance the learner experience by using data to drive instructional action.
Publications
Presenting and publishing our research is crucial to advancing knowledge in our field and contributing to the global academic conversation.
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