Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology last week announced a new online teaching and learning partnership and platform that, if all goes according to plan, will grow far beyond the two Cambridge, Mass., institutions.
The new open-source EDX is an expansion of the MITX platform used to deliver online versions of MIT courses through video and text instruction, as well as Web-based student collaboration.
The idea is not only to open free courses to anyone willing to enroll, but also allow access to the platform for any institution wishing to host its own courses there, according to the EDX website.
The two institutions will retain ownership of the nonprofit platform, but invite others to contribute to its content and maintenance.
The first EDX courses will be announced this summer and will begin this fall.
