Dartmouth engineering professor Petra Bonfert-Taylor, working with Rémi Sharrock from Institut Mines-Télécom (IMT) of France, is one of ten finalists for the 2019 edX Prize for Exceptional Contributions in Online Teaching and Learning. The team launched a new professional certificate program last summer on the edX platform in C Programming and Linux OS.

"I am honored to be recognized for our collaborative work," says Bonfert-Taylor. "The courses are truly different from any other online courses I am aware of in that they engage the learner almost to the point of an in-person class. I strongly believe in broadening access to high-quality higher level education, and it is my sincere hope that our C-programming MOOCs contribute toward this goal."

The program provides new interactive learning tools to anyone interested in gaining an extensive foundation in C programming—a computer language widely used to build computer applications, operating systems, and supercomputers—with Linux, the software that runs a majority of servers today.

The edX Prize celebrates the contributions and innovations of educators in the edX community, and amplifies the powerful role that online learning plays in the transformation of education today. Members of the edX University Advisory Board, Corporate Advisory Board and previous edX Prize winners will evaluate the 10 finalists and select a winner that will be announced in November at the edX Global Forum, hosted by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.