The Future of Education is Open Source

前言

写这篇文章有两个原因。

其一是我之前在Open edX 服务企业提到:

我们(open edx中国社区)近期正在梳理今年会议的一些报告内容，对其中感兴趣的部分进行解读，之后会在国内不同城市举办一些meetup,具体安排可以关注edustack

我认领了几个感兴趣的Open edX 2018会议主题，对其做些简单的解读，解读的过程中，顺着会议的演讲和PPT，翻阅了open edx社区里不少公司的工作成果，觉得许多都很有价值，想分享出来，今后大家遇到类似的需求，也许可以直接使用社区里的公司分享出来的解决方案和源码

原因之二是，之前同Elite Education做了一次深入的交流，想一起来推进国内的生态，为open edx国内用户提供一些帮助和服务，其中一项是定期跟进open edx社区的动态，把这些信息update给国内的用户

这篇文章也可以视为一次社区动态的update

目标

本文的目标是盘点Open edX社区中积极拥抱开源的公司(这些公司也基本是open edx社区里技术实力最强的)，同时向大家推荐它们贡献给开源社区的一些有意思的项目，希望这些项目对大家有用

公司列表

选取这些公司主要的依据是它们参与社区的活跃程度，度量活跃的方式，则主要看它们贡献出的开源项目，以及是否参与社区的活动/会议，并做分享。

Open edX社区里，很多国外高校热心参与社区，本文暂不讨论这些高校与他们分享的项目。留待下回有机会再讨论

我将选出的公司(按首字母排序)列出如下:

如有遗漏欢迎补充

以上这些公司的open edx主平台(edx-platform)基本都按照open edx协议(GPLv3)要求的开源了,下边主要列出主平台之外的项目

Appsembler

The leading training platform for hands-on learning experiences.
Appsembler makes it easy to deliver course content and virtual training labs, so you can focus on what truly matters: your learners.

我们来看看Appsembler贡献了那些值得关注的项目，Appsembler在github上的主页为github/appsembler

  • figures: Figures is a reporting and data retrieval app. It plugs into the edx-platform LMS app server. Its goal is to provide site-wide and cross-course analytics that compliment Open edX’s traditional course-centric analytics.
  • react-lms: A project that explores creating an Open edX LMS frontend that’s separated from the backend and communicates using API’s.
  • unlockerX: An app to manage (and remove) both student-specific and IP-based locks in the Open edX platform.
  • msft-courses: Microsoft courses bulk import mini-tool for Open edX installations.
  • xblock-video: Universal Video XBlock with pluggable backend for many video hosting providers
  • appsembleredx: Common migrations, management commands, models, templates, etc. for Appsembler Open edX projects

以上是我觉得Appsembler值得关注的开源项目，你也可以查看他们贡献的所有项目

eduNEXT

We are fully committed to the development and promotion of the Open edX technology, to deliver the best available technologies to serve high quality education worldwide.
Our team of Online learning specialists has been working exclusively in Open edX related projects for over 4 years, providing Software as a service hosting solutions, consulting services, technology integration, content creation, and professional e-learning solutions and infrastructure for a wide range of online education, training and assessment initiatives around the world.

eduNEXT在github上的主页为github/eduNEXT

ExtensionEngine

we created an approach to learning unlike any other. We call it custom learning experiences – unique and powerful learning that leverage the latest in learning science and advances in technology to engage the learner and create true learning. We are a service provider that takes a comprehensive approach to create custom online learning, providing ID, UX/UI, development/QA, program management, hosting/support and learner acquisition services.

ExtensionEngine在github上的主页为github/extensionengine

  • short-answer-xblock: This XBlock provides a way for students to submit short essayic texts.
  • DoneXBlock:
    Lets a student mark they’ve finished an activity.
  • gradebook-edx-platform-extensions:
    gradebook-edx-platform-extensions (gradebook) is a Django application responsible for calculating and persisting user’s grade and proforma grade for a course. Gradebook application computes user’s grades in a course on score_changed signal of courseware.

fun-mooc

fun-mooc是法国政府以800万欧元预算启动的一个项目，它其实不该被归入企业，但似乎也不归入高校，我暂且放到这里。fun-mooc十方开放，积极拥抱社区，为开源社区做了许多的贡献，超过了大多数的企业和高校

fun-mooc在github上的主页为github/openfun

  • richie: Open edX is a great tool for authoring (Studio), hosting and playing (LMS) interactive online courses and MOOCs.However, if you need to build a complete website with flexible content to aggregate your courses, in several languages and from different sources, you will soon need a CMS.
  • fun-apps:The main code repository for FUN MOOC
  • videofront:An extensible video storage, transcoding and streaming video provider(aws)
  • xblock-ipython:An Xblock to integrate ipython (Jupyter) notebooks in Open edX.
  • edx-gea: This XBlock provides a way to grade external activity in edx-platform. The course staff will upload a simple csv containing usernames, grades and optional comments. Then through the same XBlock students will see their evaluation.
  • proctoru-xblock: ProctorU is a leading online proctoring service that allows students to take proctored exams online from anywhere using a webcam and a high speed internet connection, and allows institutions to maintain academic integrity in their online education programs.

IBL EDUCATION

Data-Driven and Open Source Learning Ecosystems Built on Open edX

IBL EDUCATION在github上的主页为github/ibleducation

  • jupyter-viewer-xblock: View Jupyter Notebooks in Open edX,Jupyter is a “killer app” for education. Jupyter is a “killer app” for education. Many people are writing lessons, tutorials, whole courses and even books using Jupyter. It is a new genre of open educational resource (OER). What if you want to create an online course on Open edX using content originally written as Jupyter notebook? You certainly don’t want to duplicate the content, much less copy-and-paste. This XBlock allows you to embed the content dynamically from a notebook available on a public URL.
  • OpenBadgesXBlock-v1: First version of the XBlock to award open badges from the Open edX platform
  • jupyter-edx-grader-xblock: Jupyter Problem XBlock for Open edX.Auto-grade a student assignment created as a Jupyter notebook, using the nbgrader Jupyter extension, and write the score in the Open edX gradebook
  • CPSX-xBlock: The purpose of this Xblock is to allow small groups of 2, 3 or more to work on a set of edX problems together through real-time chat. The problems in the assignment can be any type of edX problem, e.g. numerical input, drag-and-drop, etc.

IBL EDUCATION宣传自己由数据驱动，他们强调自己在数据分析这块的能力:

Open edX的数据分析可能是它的核心竞争力之一，也是大家普遍关心的一块，不过要启用这部分并非易事，如果大家想浏览这块的内容，可以参考:

如果你想动手安装，参考:edX Analytics Installation

OpenCraft

Deliver online courses on the Open edX platform. Get a team of proven experts to host it and customize it for you.

OpenCraft在github上的主页为github/open-craft

  • problem-builder: Both blocks allow to create questions of various types. They can be used to simulate the workflow of real-life mentoring, within an edX course.
  • openedx-completion-aggregator: openedx-completion-aggregator is a Django app that aggregates block level completion data for different block types for Open edX.
  • xblock-eoc-journal: The “End of Course” Journal XBlock provides ability for a participant to download his/her activity once he/she completes the course. Currently only problem-builder freeform answers are supported.
  • learner-profile-dashboard: LTI tool for collecting information about a learner’s background and interests.

Raccoon Gang

Our leaders have extensive experience in content creation, teaching, and L&D processes design, almost always using educational technologies. After trying different platforms and approaches we’ve chosen Open edX as the main EduTech focus.

Raccoon Gang在github上的主页为github/raccoongang

  • rg_instructor_analytics:RG Analytics is an internal Raccoon Gang project which aim is to create easy-to-use, actionable insights for Open edX courses instructors.
  • edx_xblock_scorm: XBlock to display SCORM content within the Open edX LMS. Editable within Open edx Studio. Will save student state and report scores to the progress tab of the course. Currently supports SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 standard.
  • edx-adapt: Adaptive problem selection interface for EdX courses