Lone UCLA Professor Builds Online Learning Platform In Just 3 Months

No devs for a new technology platform

Known for its rigorous academics and innovation, UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) ranks high among U.S. universities. The university wanted to test a new technology by building an e-learning platform using standard MOOC (massive open online course) protocols. However, this required various web development specialists that were unavailable in house. Adding to the challenge, the project had a limited budget and a single team member: Professor Christopher Lee.

Came to Upwork for guidance on how to connect with talent

UCLA chose Upwork Enterprise, an advanced workforce solution designed to meet the needs of mid-sized and large organizations. Professor Lee engaged three program consultants to help strategize project timelines, execute tasks, determine the talent needed, and start talent at the right time to keep the project on schedule.

Together, launched a high-quality platform in record time

By tapping into the human cloud, Professor Lee accessed niche and in-demand specialists including data mining, UI/UX, and web programmers in Python and LTI

(Learning Tools Interoperability) implementation. He wasn’t just able to complete the project on time and within budget, but he also completed it at a higher level than imagined.