The Pitt News
T h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t ude nt ne w spap e r of t he U niversity of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | february 10, 2020 | Volume 110 | Issue 217
PITT TO PARTNER WITH ONLINE EDUCATION STARTUP THROUGH SUMMER
VICIOUS ON VIRGINIA
Vaibhav Gupta Staff Writer
Pitt students have squinted at complex equations on blackboards and scrambled through calculus exams for decades. Now, they can still squint at equations and sweat through exams on a computer screen through an online course offering. The University partnered with Outlier.org, a New York-based education technology startup, to provide online Introductory Calculus and Psychology courses and will continue working with the company through the summer term. Outlier would not respond to specific questions about its history, the implementation process at Pitt or its partnership with the University. The company declined an interview, but provided No. 9 184-pounder Nino Bonaccorsi completed eight takedowns in his 19-7 victory over Virginia’s Michael Battista. a statement on behalf of Outlier founder and CEO Thomas Yang | assistant visual editor Aaron Rasmussen that said Outlier provides university-level courses taught by educators in their respective fields through universities across the country. Grace Giglio iel said in the TED Talk. “I saw myself on Be Alright,” offered viewers a glimpse into “We create accessible, affordable and well-deFor The Pitt News a bicycle all dressed with my helmet, do- his rise from poverty, the loss of his wife signed courses taught by some of the world’s best ing a long bike ride in some exotic loca- and the experience of undergoing a heart Pitt alum John Daniel laid down in instructors to make learning fun and effective for tion. That got me through all the pain. The transplant. The Pittsburgh native and 1979 2015 to receive a heart transplant which students,” Rasmussen said. discomfort. Just having that vision in my Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences gradwould extend his life for a minimum of 10 Jonathan Rubin, the chair of the mathematics head … And so, the thing is, when you face uate came to the 35th floor of Pitt’s Catheyears. He stood four years later to give a department, said Outlier had initially approached something that seems daunting and over- dral of Learning Sunday morning to talk to TED Talk on the power and experience of the University and proposed implementing an whelming, you’ve got to have a picture of students about his perspective on success intentional thought. online Calculus I class in early 2019. He said the “I had this picture in my head,” Dan- you on the other end.” See Outlier on page 2 See Daniel on page 2 Daniel’s TED Talk, “Everything Will
TAKING THE TED STAGE TO CATHY: PITT ALUM FINDS SUCCESS IN RESILIENCE