Online resource connects scholars from across the globe

Online resource connects scholars from across the globe

Two professors from Georgia Tech's College of Computing and Emory University have teamed up to create a resource that could connect students from across the world in real time, which may enable them to get help with certain topics at any time of the day or night.

Ashwin and Preetha Ram joined with Georgia Tech alumnus Chris Sprague and entrepreneur Phil Hill three years ago to create OpenStudy, an online system that aims to get individuals the academic help that they need, whenever they need it.

"We've found that people get significant gratification from helping people right now," Hill said. "Connecting, conversing and helping a stranger in need provides a unique feeling and actually helps the learner to better understand the material herself."

Ram added that they have seen many great examples of students helping one another from across the globe, such as a resident of Los Angeles being helped with chemistry by a scholar in Istanbul, Turkey.

An estimated 90 percent of all of the questions posted on OpenStudy are answered, and each query receives input from up to five other students, on average.

More than 350 study groups are available on everything from history and language to biology.

 

By Aimee Chou