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Monday, March 25, 2013

EdX Releases Its Source Code

EdX was launched to offer massive open online courses (MOOCs) to a worldwide audience at no cost. Now, anyone can develop independent course components on the edX platform.

The nonprofit, founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, made the source code that support the edX course content available to all with the release of its XBlock SDK.

XBlocks are the application programming interface for combining edX courseware components, such as video players and learning sequences. The source code, available for download at github.com/edX/XBlock, allows developers to create collaborative learning tools and online laboratories by combining independent XBlocks.

“When we released our XBlock code last week, it represented the first step toward our vision of creating an open online learning platform that mirrors the collaborative philosophy of MOOCs themselves and leverages global community developers to deliver the world’s best and most accessible online learning experience,” Anant Agarwal, president of edX, told Technapex.  “We believe that the open source path is the right one to help us achieve that goal because it allows us to tap the brainpower of the entire world’s developers to constantly enhance and improve the edX platform.”