EdX

Overview

edX is a massive open online course (MOOC) provider that hosts online university-level courses in a wide range of disciplines to a worldwide student body, including some courses at no charge. It also conducts research into learning based on how people use its platform. EdX is a nonprofit organization and runs on the free Open edX open-source software platform.

History

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University created edX in May 2012. More than 140 schools, nonprofit organizations, and corporations offer or plan to offer courses on the edX website. As of 14 December 2020, edX has around 33 million students taking more than 3,200 courses online.

Founding and funding

MIT and Harvard University announced the formation of edX on May 2, 2012. MIT, which had announced its own online learning platform called MITx in December 2011, provided the initial technological platform. Harvard, which had been offering a variety of online courses, contributed $30 million to the new partnership.

Courses

EdX courses consist of weekly learning sequences. Each learning sequence is composed of short videos interspersed with interactive learning exercises, where students can immediately practice the concepts from the videos. The courses often include tutorial videos that are similar to small on-campus discussion groups, an online textbook, and an online discussion forum where students can post and review questions and comments to each other and teaching assistants.

Partnerships

EdX has engaged in several partnerships with educational institutions from around the world to internationalize and democratize education. The platform's Global Freshman Academy in partnership with Arizona State University enables students to take their entire freshman year online through edX.

Business model and policies

EdX operates on a mission to increase access to education for everyone, everywhere. It operates on a freemium pricing model, offering many courses for free, while charging a fee for verified certificates of completion.

Impact and efficacy

The impact of edX is profound, reaching millions of learners around the world. It has democratized education, making high-quality educational content accessible to anyone with an internet connection.