EdX, a nonprofit learning destination, and Qualcomm Education, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), the leading global provider of wireless technology, announced a collaboration to further develop edX’s MOOC (massive open online course) mobile capabilities and enhance its open source platform to benefit connected learners around the world. As part of the collaboration, Qualcomm Education will contribute engineering resources and will license elements of its SDK code, which edX will distribute to the Open edX community. 

This collaboration brings together two industry leaders who share a common vision that mobile technologies are a critical enabler for open access to education for everyone. Together they will harness the power of more than 7 billion mobile connections globally, with more than 1 million being added daily, to meet the growing demand for mobile learning.

EdX, offering more than 500 courses from the world’s best universities, colleges and institutions, including MITx, HarvardX, BerkeleyX and UTx, seeks to increase access to high-quality education by enhancing the online experience on mobile.

“As a leading MOOC provider, edX is committed to expanding access to education for everyone and to drive new ways of learning. We see a significant opportunity for mobile technology to help realize this goal,” said Anant Agarwal, chief executive officer, edX, and professor, MIT. “Mobile has transformed many industries and we anticipate it will do the same for education. The ability for edX students to take their coursework with them, access it as they go about their day, use collaborative tools to enhance student engagement, and mobile devices to create new learning experiences, is the next frontier for learning worldwide.”

Qualcomm Education was formed to harness the power of the company’s innovations in mobile technology, working on kindergarten through college, to improve student engagement and learning outcomes. This collaboration with edX adds MOOC opportunities, which will be available for anyone with an internet connection and a device, to further demonstrate the Qualcomm Education’s long-held interest in education.

“Why should students and teachers have to wait for the technology that can help the way we learn? Over the years, we have seen the positive global impact that mobile brings to communities by connecting people with real-time information and each other – regardless of their location,” said Paul Jacobs, executive chairman, Qualcomm Incorporated. “We know that giving students 24/7 access to their learning materials, their teachers and each other can dramatically improve learning. The collaboration with edX is an important step toward expanding access through the power of the mobile platform, enabling the Qualcomm ‘Why Wait’ experience for students around the globe.”

Qualcomm Education and edX believe that mobile education is key for continued economic growth across the globe, as well as for the development and advancement of the next generation of learners. Students who can easily access content, ask questions and interact with instructors and other students on their mobile devices will be more engaged and, ultimately, more successful in their learning. A goal of this collaboration is the development of a new, richer mobile learning platform for edX learners.