Looking Ahead: The Future of Open, Adaptive Courseware

Norm Bier

Director of the Open Learning Initiative | Carnegie Mellon University

Norman Bier has spent his career at the intersection of learning and technology, working to expand access to and improve the quality of education. He is currently the Executive Director of the Simon Initiative and the Director of the Open Learning Initiative (OLI) at Carnegie Mellon University. The Simon Initiative leverages CMU’s unique research and educational technology ecosystem, applying learning science to improve outcomes for all. OLI, a recognized leader in open education, combines leading research in the learning sciences with state-of-the-art technology to create scientifically-based courses that facilitate understanding for independent learners and support instructors to improve effectiveness in traditional classrooms. By rigorously capturing and evaluating learner data, OLI drives powerful feedback loops that assist learners and educators, improve courses, and contribute to our larger understanding of how humans learn. He has taught computer science as an adjunct faculty member at the Community College of Allegheny County, philosophy and computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, and he served as a founding member of the Robert E. Cook Honors College team at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is a recognized leader in Open Education and Educational Technology; in 2015 he was honored by the Center for Digital Education as one of their Top 30 Technologists, Transformers & Trailblazers.