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
This study examines how students' AI literacy and prior exposure to AI technologies shape their perceptions of Socratic Mind, an interactive AI-powered formative assessment tool. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory and user experience research, the researchers analyze relationships among AI literacy, perceived usability, satisfaction, engagement, and perceived learning effectiveness. They collected data from 309 undergraduates in computer science and business courses through validated surveys.
Recent News
C21U Recognized with Best Paper Award at 2025 IEEE DEMOcon
We’re proud to announce that C21U’s paper, Leveraging Large Language Models to Detect and Summarize Cognitive Presence in Online Discussion Forums, was selected as one of five papers to receive the Best Paper Award at the 2025 IEEE Digital Education and MOOCs Conference (DEMOcon). This recognition highlights our work addressing a key challenge in online education: assessing the quality of student engagement in asynchronous discussion forums at scale.
Exploring and Understanding the Capabilities and Limitations of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Driven Tools in Education
C21U’s Executive Director Steve Harmon served as the keynote speaker and panelist at the 2025 Inaugural Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai AI in (Bio) Medical Education Symposium. (Pictured: Dr. I. Michael Leitman, José Antonio Bowen, Marta Filizola, Steve Harmon, and Dr. David C. Thomas)
How Industry Partnerships and Digital Credentials Can Close the Skills Gap
Learn how industry-focused credentials allow candidates to highlight skill sets to potential employers and enable individuals who may not have access to traditional higher educational pathways to display skills acquired over time.
When AI asks: ‘Why?’ and Facilitates Critical Thinking
At C21U, we’re investigating how generative AI can actively engage learners, rather than deliver information. In this Campus Times Higher Education article, Research Scientist Meryem Yilmaz Soylu explores how AI can foster reflection and more profound understanding by prompting meaningful dialogue and intellectual exploration.
Georgia Tech Selected for National LER Accelerator Cohort
Georgia Tech College of Lifetime Learning is proud to announce its selection to join the inaugural cohort of the LER Accelerator. As one of just 25 projects nationwide chosen for participation, the project will help pioneer innovative approaches to digital credentialing that enhance opportunities, learner agency, and skills-based recognition.
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