Dhawal Shah’s Journey: How Class Central Is Revolutionizing Online Education

People often take the privilege of education for granted without ever fully understanding the difficulties that children and even adults face without accessible education. Founder and CEO of Class Central Dhawal Shah understood this struggle all too well when he grew up with limited access to quality education.  

While Shah wasn’t given education opportunities, he pursued learning opportunities creatively. He was inspired by free online resources, which later motivated him to create Class Central.  

Now, Shah is a leading voice in MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), creating the kind of educational courses he wished he had access to in his younger years.  

The Beginning of Class Central 

Shah was an international student from India who studied software engineering during his university years. He discovered MOOCs during this time and quickly realized their potential to democratize education globally.  

So, big word aside, what does democratizing education mean? Shah was inspired to use this model to make education more inclusive and accessible and give students autonomy. Nothing stifles a young person’s creativity like forcing them into a box, lording over them, and making them feel like their voice and interests don’t matter. Democratized education aims to bridge that gap so students can collaborate within their education.  

Given Shah’s lack of access to quality resources, he was determined to create a centralized hub for learners to find, review, and rate courses. Eventually, this idea became Class Central. What started as a personal side project quickly morphed into a globally recognized MOOK aggregator focusing more on accessible education than commercialization.  

Breaking Into the EdTech Industry 

Like any burgeoning business, creating Class Central wasn’t always smooth sailing for Shah. One of the biggest hurdles he had to overcome was figuring out how to differentiate Class Central in an oversaturated TechEd industry.  

Shah decided that trust should be at the forefront of everything the company does. He focused on developing tools to allow students to take the wheel of their education. When learners feel like they’re a part of their education process, they’re often less likely to shut down. Therein lies the power of autonomy and validation. Shah mainly prioritizes user experience, offers trustworthy course reviews, and creates detailed guides to build credibility and trust on the platform. 

Class Central Gets an A+ 

Since its inception, Class Central has continued growing and morphing into an online learning hub. Not only has it reached millions of users, but Class Central continually creates curated lists and comprehensive guides to ensure that the programs are always up-to-date and molded to students’ needs.  

Shah’s success in the MOOC industry speaks for itself. Not only has he been quoted in several media outlets, but he’s been a leading voice in the MOOC industry since 2012, before it even significantly took off.  

Looking to the Future of TechEd 

Shah has big goals for Class Central in the next few years. He aims to transform the program into a global educational guide and wants to develop partnerships with other industry staples to offer the most well-rounded experience possible. Shah plans to partner with universities and other EdTech companies to expand access to high-quality education. Given his already demonstrated success, he’s up to the challenge.  

Parents, students, and teachers can get involved with Class Central’s mission by following the official blog, Twitter, and LinkedIn.