French Ministry of Higher Ed Adopts edX Platform for MOOC, Blended Learning Portal

The French Ministry of Higher Education and Research will launch a national portal for massive open online courses (MOOCs) and blended learning using the open source platform from edX.

More than 100 institutions will use the portal, and the first 20 courses are set to start in January. The "effort is part of a larger national educational initiative funded by the Ministry called France Université Numerique (France Digital University), which will be open to all French universities and will provide France with a state-of-the art site and technology platform," according to an edX news release.

"This marks the first time a national education ministry has embraced online learning," said edX President Anant Agarwal, in a prepared statement. "France's adoption of the edX platform is a testament to the power of online education and the potential of edX's open source platform."

Though the ministry will use the edX platform, "France's new MOOC portal will be independent, separate, and distinct from edX.org," according to information released by the MOOC provider.

This year the edX platform has also been adopted by the International Monetary Fund to deliver a pair of courses that will be offered to government representatives and opened to the public in 2014 and by Aspiring Minds, an Indian company that helps individuals improve their skills for greater employability.

More information about edX is available at edx.org.

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • robot waving

    Copilot Updates Aim to Make AI More Personal

    Microsoft has unveiled a range of updates to its Copilot platform, marking a new phase in its effort to deliver what it calls a "true AI companion" that adapts to individual users' needs, preferences and routines.

  • glowing futuristic laptop with a holographic screen displaying digital text

    New Turnitin Product Brings AI-Powered Tools to Students with Instructor Guardrails

    Academic integrity solution provider Turnitin has introduced Turnitin Clarity, a paid add-on for Turnitin Feedback Studio that provides a composition workspace for students with educator-guided AI assistance, AI-generated writing feedback, visibility into integrity insights, and more.

  • illustration of a futuristic building labeled "AI & Innovation," featuring circuit board patterns and an AI brain motif, surrounded by geometric trees and a simplified sky

    Cal Poly Pomona Launches AI and Innovation Center

    In an effort to advance AI innovation, foster community engagement, and prepare students for careers in STEM fields and business, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona has teamed up with AI, cloud, and advisory services provider Avanade to launch a new Avanade AI & Innovation Center.

  • Training the Next Generation of Space Cybersecurity Experts

    CT asked Scott Shackelford, Indiana University professor of law and director of the Ostrom Workshop Program on Cybersecurity and Internet Governance, about the possible emergence of space cybersecurity as a separate field that would support changing practices and foster future space cybersecurity leaders.