EdX Releases Open Source Tool For Building Interactive MOOC Courseware

  • By Sharleen Nelson
  • 03/14/13

EdX has released source code to the general public that supports interactive learning built specifically for the Internet.

The nonprofit online learning platform founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has released XBlock SDK, the underlying architecture supporting EdX course content.

XBlocks are a prototype second-generation application programming interface for hierarchically combined EdX courseware components such as video players and learning sequences. The XBlock source code allows course developers to combine independent XBlocks to create engaging online courses such as wiki-based collaborative learning environments and online laboratories, or create integrated education tools such as a circuit simulator for an electronics course or a molecular manipulator for teaching biology.

Furthering its mission to be a true open-sourced learning platform, edX has invited the public to participate in the development of its interactive courseware for the massive open online course (MOOCs) platform by releasing the source code under the Affero GPL open source license. By collaborating with others during the prototype stage, edX hopes to develop the XBlock into an industry standard. EdX also plans to enlist the input of independent developers in extending the functionality of XBlock in future open source initiatives.

The XBlock source code is available now for download at github.com/edX/XBlock.

"From its beginning, EdX has been committed to developing the world's best learning platform and tapping our global community to help us get there," said Rob Rubin, EdX vice president of engineering, in a prepared statement. "We look forward to working with the world's developers, educators and researchers to help evolve the platform and ensure that everyone, everywhere has access to the world-class education that EdX provides."

EdX is a MOOC platform founded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Harvard University to offer online university-level courses in a wide range of disciplines to a global audience at no charge. For more information, visit edx.org.

About the Author

Sharleen Nelson is a freelance journalist based in Springfield, Oregon. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • abstract pattern of shapes, arrows and circuit lines

    Internet2 Announces a New President and CEO to Step Up in October

    Internet2, the member-driven nonprofit offering advanced network technology services and cyberinfrastructure to the research and education community has completed its search, which began this past May, for a new president and CEO to take the helm.

  • shield with an AI microchip emblem hovering above stacks of gold coins

    AI Security Spend Surges While Traditional Security Budgets Shrink

    A new Thales report reveals that while enterprises are pouring resources into AI-specific protections, only 8% are encrypting the majority of their sensitive cloud data — leaving critical assets exposed even as AI-driven threats escalate and traditional security budgets shrink.

  • stack of gold coins disintegrates into digital particles against a dark circuit-board background with glowing AI imagery

    MIT Report: Most Organizations See No Business Return on Gen AI Investments

    A recent report out of the MIT Media Lab found that despite $30-40 billion in enterprise spending on generative AI, 95% of organizations are seeing no business return.

  • young man in a denim jacket scans his phone at a card reader outside a modern glass building

    Colleges Roll Out Mobile Credential Technology

    Allegion US has announced a partnership with Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) and Denison College, in conjunction with Transact + CBORD, to install mobile credential technologies campuswide. Implementing Mobile Student ID into Apple Wallet and Google Wallet will allow students access to campus facilities, amenities, and residence halls using just their phones.