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.”