In 2001, MIT became the first higher education institution to provide educational resources for free to anyone in the world. Fast forward 24 years: The Institute has now launched a dynamic AI-enabled website for its non-degree learning opportunities, making it easier for learners around the world to discover the courses and resources available on MIT’s various learning platforms.

MIT Learn enables learners to access more than 12,700 educational resources — including introductory and advanced courses, courseware, videos, podcasts, and more — from departments across the Institute. MIT Learn is designed to seamlessly connect the existing Institute’s learning platforms in one place.

“With MIT Learn, we’re opening access to MIT’s digital learning opportunities for millions around the world,” says Dimitris Bertsimas, vice provost for open learning. “MIT Learn elevates learning with personalized recommendations powered by AI, guiding each learner toward deeper understanding. It is a stepping stone toward a broader vision of making these opportunities even more accessible to global learners through one unified learning platform.”

The goal for MIT Learn is twofold: to allow learners to find what they want to fulfill their curiosity, and to enable learners to develop a long-term relationship with MIT as a source of educational experiences. 

“By fostering long-term connections between learners and MIT, we not only provide a pathway to continued learning, but also advance MIT’s mission to disseminate knowledge globally,” says Ferdi Alimadhi, chief technology officer for MIT Open Learning and the lead of the MIT Learn project. “With this initial launch of MIT Learn, we’re introducing AI-powered features that leverage emerging technologies to help learners discover the right content, engage with it more deeply, and stay supported as they shape their own educational journeys.” 

With its sophisticated search, browse, and discovery capability, MIT Learn allows learners to explore topics without having to understand MIT’s organizational structure or know the names of departments and programs. An AI-powered recommendation feature called “Ask Tim” complements the site’s traditional search and browsing tools, helping learners quickly find courses and resources aligned with their personal and professional goals. Learners can also prompt “Ask Tim” for a summary of a course’s structure, topics, and expectations, leading to more-informed decisions before enrolling.

In select offerings, such as Molecular Biology: DNA Replication and Repair, Genetics: The Fundamentals, and Cell Biology: Transport and Signaling, learners can interact with an AI assistant by asking questions about a lecture, requesting flashcards of key concepts, and obtaining instant summaries. These select offerings also feature an AI tutor to support learners as they work through problem sets, guiding them toward the next step without giving away the answers. These features, Alimadhi says, are being introduced in a limited set of courses and modules to allow the MIT Open Learning team to gather insights and improve the learning experience before expanding more broadly.

“MIT Learn is a whole new front door to the Institute,” says Christopher Capozzola, senior associate dean for open learning, who worked with faculty across the Institute on the project. “Just as the Kendall Square renovations transformed the way that people interact with our physical campus, MIT Learn transforms how people engage with what we offer digitally.”