Amazon & 2U

The Client

Our partnership in this particular case started with a call from 2U, an industry leader in education technology. They were in the process of a significant project with Amazon, a multinational technology company that needs no introduction. Amazon was looking to invest in its workforce by providing opportunities for its internal employees to upskill and transition into higher-paying engineering roles. To make this vision a reality, Amazon had engaged 2U, a company known for its expertise in creating custom education solutions.

However, in the process of developing the full-stack course, 2U identified a need for additional assistance. They required support in designing and developing multiple course units, and it was at this juncture, they reached out to us at GemStack.

The Challenge

The challenge that 2U presented us was multi-faceted and required careful planning and expertise. They needed multiple units of a full-stack course developed for an audience that was largely non-technical. This meant the material had to be approachable and easy to understand, while still covering complex topics thoroughly and meaningfully.

The virtual setting of the course added another layer of complexity to the task. With the students not physically present in a classroom, we had to design the course in an engaging and interactive way to maintain the students' interest and facilitate effective learning.

We also needed to consider the wide range of learning styles and paces within Amazon's diverse workforce. The course material had to be flexible enough to cater to a varied audience and be comprehensive enough to ensure every student, regardless of their background or prior knowledge, could successfully complete the course and gain the skills needed to transition into an engineering role.

Lastly, scalability and adaptability were key considerations in our planning. We had to ensure that the course could potentially be expanded in the future and that it would stay relevant in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

The Solution

With these challenges in mind, GemStack began our work in partnership with 2U. Our first task was to scope out the syllabus for each unit. This involved deep diving into the course material to ensure the structure and content were strategically designed for the target audience. Each unit had to be standalone in its completeness and yet integrate seamlessly with the others to provide a holistic learning journey.

We then proceeded to develop a working code base for each unit. This was a crucial aspect of the project, as it provided a practical, hands-on component to the learning process. The code base served as a real-time learning tool where students could immediately apply the theoretical concepts they were learning.

We also developed a range of learning materials to supplement the code base. These included detailed lesson plans that provided a roadmap for each unit, student learning guides that acted as handy reference materials, assignments that reinforced learning and allowed students to practice their new skills, and project rubrics that provided a clear framework for what was expected in each project.

Furthermore, we provided solution code for each assignment and project. This allowed students to compare their work with the expected outcomes and better understand where they might have gone wrong and what they could improve.

Through our partnership with 2U, we were able to create a comprehensive, scalable tech training program tailored specifically to Amazon's workforce's needs. The program was designed to be engaging and flexible, accommodating diverse learners and providing them with the skills and knowledge needed to transition into higher-paying engineering roles within Amazon.