Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling
The Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling (CCL) is a Northwestern University academic research center that develops NetLogo, a free open-source multi-agent modeling platform used by hundreds of thousands of students, teachers, and researchers worldwide for STEM education and scientific research.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersEvanston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling does
The Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling (CCL) is an academic research center founded by Professor Uri Wilensky in 1994 at Tufts University and relocated to Northwestern University in 2000. It is housed within Northwestern's School of Education and Social Policy and McCormick School of Engineering, affiliated with the Learning Sciences Department, Computer Science Department, and the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO). With approximately 10 employees supplemented by a distributed network of affiliated faculty, the center develops and maintains NetLogo, the most widely used agent-based modeling software in both research and education, alongside a portfolio of related tools including HubNet (participatory simulation), NetLogo Web (browser-based), NetTango/NetTango Web (block-based interfaces for novices), Turtle Universe (mobile), and NetLogo AR (spatial augmented reality authoring).
The CCL's product portfolio is built around the NetLogo multi-agent programmable modeling environment, which enables users to assign simple rules to individual agents and observe emergent collective behavior across disciplines spanning biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, economics, history, sociology, business, and medicine. Supporting tools include BehaviorSpace (systematic experimentation using genetic algorithms), DeltaTick (visual block-based model construction), LevelSpace (multi-model communication), NetLogoLab (physical computing integration), ProbLab (probability curriculum), and MaterialSim (materials science simulation). All software is released under the GPL license and is freely available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and browsers, with a Models Library supporting model-based inquiry across K-12 and higher education.
The center operates a non-commercial business model: NetLogo and all related tools are free and open-source, with no pricing tiers, subscriptions, or licensing fees. Revenue is sourced from Northwestern University institutional support, National Science Foundation research grants (including a 2023 POSE Grant establishing the NetLogo Center), and a small number of commercial sponsors. Adoption is community-led through academic publications, conferences, workshops, the Computational Thinking Summer Institute, and word-of-mouth across educational and scientific networks. The customer base consists of K-12 schools, universities, scientific and policy researchers, and informal learning settings globally, with hundreds of thousands of users worldwide and more than 20,000 scientific articles based on NetLogo research.
Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling
- Legal name
- Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling
- Website
- https://ccl.northwestern.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling (CCL) is a Northwestern University academic research center that develops NetLogo, a free open-source multi-agent modeling platform used by hundreds of thousands of students, teachers, and researchers worldwide for STEM education and scientific research.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Simulation Software
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (61171), Computer Training (61142), Computer Training (611420)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cloud & DevOps Fundamentals (Cloud Basics, CI/CD Concepts) (EDAMACAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Virtual Classroom Platforms (Synchronous Teaching Environments) (EDAFABAA), Core Digital Curriculum & Courseware (Full Programs & Units) (EDAFACAA)
Keywords
Where Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Evanston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Academic Research Funding: The CCL is funded by Northwestern University, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and commercial sponsors. Development of NetLogo and related tools has been funded primarily by academic research grants from NSF and NIH. The center also received a POSE Grant (Pathways to Open-Source Ecosystems) from NSF for creating a sustainable organizational structure.
- Free Open-Source Software Distribution: NetLogo and all related software tools are free and open-source. No direct revenue is generated from software distribution. The center operates as an academic research group at Northwestern University.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free open-source software for all users |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The CCL develops and distributes NetLogo, a free and open-source multi-agent programmable modeling environment, along with a suite of related tools (HubNet, NetLogo Web, NetTango, Turtle Universe, NetLogo AR, BehaviorSpace) and supporting curricula for K-12 and university classrooms and informal learning settings. The center also develops ProbLab (a probability curriculum), MaterialSim, DeltaTick, and NetLogoLab, and operates the FabLab and the Computational Thinking Summer Institute for teacher training.
Product overview
The Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling (CCL) offers a portfolio of educational technology products centered on agent-based modeling and computational thinking. The core product is NetLogo, a multi-agent programmable modeling environment that powers a suite of related tools including HubNet (participatory simulation technology), NetLogo Web (browser-based version), NetTango/NetTango Web (block-based interfaces for younger users), Turtle Universe (mobile version), and NetLogo AR (spatial augmented reality authoring). Supporting tools include BehaviorSpace (experimental exploration), DeltaTick (block-based model construction), Frog Pond Evolution (evolution simulation), LevelSpace (multi-model communication), ProbLab (probability curriculum), MaterialSim (materials science simulations), and NetLogoLab (physical computing integration). The CCL also operates a FabLab for fabrication and physical computing, and runs the Computational Thinking Summer Institute for teacher training. StarLogo and StarLogoT are legacy predecessors to NetLogo.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NetLogo: A multi-agent programmable modeling environment used by tens of thousands of students, teachers, and researchers worldwide. It is the most widely used agent-based modeling software.
- HubNet
- BehaviorSpace
- NetTango
- LevelSpace
- Turtle Universe
- NetLogo AR
Products and services
- NetLogo A multi-agent programmable modeling environment used by tens of thousands of students, teachers, and researchers worldwide. It enables learners to give simple rules to individual agents in a simulation and observe the collective result of all the agents' behavior. The bundled Models Library covers phenomena in biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, economics, history, sociology, business, medicine, and many other domains.
- HubNet A technology that enables participatory simulations in the classroom, allowing a network of learners to collaboratively explore and control a simulation. Students act out the roles of individual elements of a system while observing how the behavior of the system as a whole emerges from these individual behaviors.
- NetLogo Web A browser-based version of NetLogo that runs in all modern browsers without installation, increasing accessibility for educational settings and lowering the barrier to adoption.
- NetTango A block-based interface for NetLogo that is accessible for novices and young children, bringing agent-based modeling to a younger generation through visual block-based programming.
- NetTango Web A web-based interface consisting of NetTango Builder for defining blocks and linking them to NetLogo Web models, and a corresponding player page for experimentation with blocks-based programming.
- Turtle Universe The mobile version of NetLogo, bringing computational modeling to smartphones and tablets of young students and educators, built on the NetLogo ecosystem infrastructure and implemented in Unity.
- NetLogo AR A spatial Augmented Reality authoring toolkit that combines room-scale AR technology with NetLogo for immersive computational modeling experiences.
- BehaviorSpace A software tool that allows users to run systematic experiments in NetLogo, using genetic algorithms and other heuristic techniques to explore parameter spaces of agent-based models.
- DeltaTick A simple, visual block-based programming environment designed to support students' construction of agent-based models by emphasizing the structural, levels-based, and behavioral aspects of systems.
- ProbLab A computer-based middle-school curricular unit in probability and statistics, featuring a suite of interactive models in NetLogo and using the HubNet Participatory Simulation infrastructure.
- MaterialSim Agent-based simulation tools for Materials Science phenomena such as grain growth and solidification, developed to provide students and researchers with powerful simulation capabilities.
- NetLogoLab A project that connects multi-agent-based models to physical manipulatives to investigate the connection between computer simulations and the physical world.
- Modeling Commons A community platform released by the CCL to expand engagement with the NetLogo community, allowing users to share and explore models.
- StarLogoT A version of StarLogo created in 1995 as a Mac-only precursor to NetLogo and an early product in the CCL's agent-based modeling lineage.
- StarLogo The first version of StarLogo, developed at MIT in 1990 as the precursor to NetLogo.
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 20,000 scientific articles have been based on research using NetLogo
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Northwestern UniversitycoreThe CCL is housed within Northwestern University and receives primary funding and institutional support. Affiliated with the Learning Sciences Department, Computer Science Department, and the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO). The center relocated to Northwestern in 2000.
- TIDAL Lab (Northwestern)coreCollaboration between the CCL and TIDAL Lab at Northwestern University for development of NetTango Web and other educational technology tools.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Scratch Foundation: Develops Scratch, the most widely used block-based programming platform for K-12 learners. NetTango brings agent-based modeling into the same block-based paradigm Scratch pioneered; they overlap in introducing computational thinking to young learners.
- AnyLogic: AnyLogic is the leading commercial agent-based modeling platform used in operations research and academic settings. Directly competes with NetLogo for the same ABM modeling use case, though it targets more enterprise/industrial users with paid licenses.
- Bootstrap (Brown University): Bootstrap uses a block-based programming environment embedded in math and science curricula for middle/high school students. Comparable mission of bringing computational thinking and modeling into formal education.
- The Concord Consortium: Non-profit educational technology research organization that develops open-source inquiry-based science learning tools and models. Highly comparable to CCL in mission, structure (academic-affiliated), and K-12 modeling focus.
- Insight Maker: Free, web-based system dynamics and agent-based modeling tool used in education and research. Direct competitor for the classroom modeling use case, with a focus on accessibility and browser-based delivery similar to NetLogo Web.
- MASON (GMU): Multi-agent simulator of networks developed at George Mason University, used in academic research for agent-based modeling. Competes with NetLogo in the academic ABM research market.
Broad incumbents
- Carnegie Learning: Educational technology company delivering STEM and math learning products to K-12 schools. Comparable scale and K-12 STEM education focus, though commercial rather than open-source.
- Code.org: Major K-12 computer science education non-profit teaching computational thinking across thousands of US schools. NetLogo competes for the same classroom time and curriculum budget with a different pedagogical angle (modeling vs. coding fundamentals).
- Wolfram Research: Developer of Mathematica and Wolfram SystemModeler, used for computational and agent-based modeling in both research and education. Competes with NetLogo's modeling use case at the advanced undergraduate/research level with a commercial product suite.
Emerging players
- MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program: MIT's Learning, Teaching, and Innovation lab originated StarLogo (NetLogo's precursor) and continues to develop educational modeling platforms. Comparable academic parent institution and creator of directly adjacent modeling technologies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling social profiles
Digital presenceCenter for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling
What does Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling do?
The CCL develops and distributes NetLogo, a free and open-source multi-agent programmable modeling environment, along with a suite of related tools (HubNet, NetLogo Web, NetTango, Turtle Universe, NetLogo AR, BehaviorSpace) and supporting curricula for K-12 and university classrooms and informal learning settings. The center also develops ProbLab (a probability curriculum), MaterialSim, DeltaTick, and NetLogoLab, and operates the FabLab and the Computational Thinking Summer Institute for teacher training.
Is Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling a public or private company?
Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling founded?
Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling based?
Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling is headquartered in Evanston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Academic Research Funding is the primary driver. The others are free Open-Source Software Distribution.
Who are Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Scratch Foundation, AnyLogic, Bootstrap (Brown University), The Concord Consortium, Insight Maker and MASON (GMU). Broad incumbents are Carnegie Learning, Code.org and Wolfram Research. MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program is listed as an emerging player.
Does Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling have an API?
No public API is recorded for Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling.
What industry is Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling in?
Center for Connected Learning and Computer Modeling's product category is Educational Simulation Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMACAM, Cloud & DevOps Fundamentals (Cloud Basics, CI/CD Concepts), with a secondary code of EDAFABAA, Virtual Classroom Platforms (Synchronous Teaching Environments). Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 8200.