In our upcoming webinar, “A New Era of Learning: Shaping the Skills-Forward LMS,” we’ll dive into the findings of our research on the evolving technology needs of higher education. We’ll share insights from institutions that are making skills-forward learning work and reveal what they need from their EdTech partners to build for the future.

This session will provide clarity on:

• The core technology features needed to support progress tracking, content alignment, and flexible grading.
• How a purpose-built platform can empower new roles and lighten the administrative load.
• Why an open-source approach offers a unique path to building a more collaborative and responsive solution.

Featured Speakers

We’ve brought together a panel of experts who are at the forefront of this educational shift.

• Lacey McCann, Senior Director, Competency-Based Products and Experience, C-BEN
• Jenna Makowski, Senior Product Manager, Axim Collaborative
• Jason Richter Ed.D., Director of Project Management, Unicon

Join us to learn how to build a tech stack that not only supports your CBE programs today but is also ready for the workforce demands of tomorrow.

✓ Sign Up Today ✓

The post A New Era of Learning: Shaping the Skills-Forward LMS appeared first on Open edX.

Every day, Open edX educators, developers, and learners encounter moments of friction – that missing feature that would save hours of work, the workflow that could be smoother, or the brilliant idea that could transform how students learn. Until now, these insights often remained scattered across Slack channels, conference conversations, and individual wishlists.

We’d like to change that!

We’re excited to introduce the Feature Requests category in our community forum, a dedicated space where your ideas don’t just get heard, they get acted upon. This isn’t just another suggestion box; it’s a direct pipeline from community insights to platform improvements. Learn more here.

Why Feature Requests Matter

The best educational technology improvements come from the people using the platform every day. You know where the pain points are. You understand what would make your courses more engaging, your administrative tasks more efficient, or your development work more streamlined.

Community-Driven Prioritization

Here’s where it gets exciting: your engagement directly influences development priorities. We’ll regularly run community polls to identify the most valuable ideas. Your votes, comments, and real-world use cases will help guide which requests move forward in the development pipeline. The features that generate the most community interest and demonstrate clear value will be prime candidates for official product proposals.

What Makes a Great Feature Request?

The most successful feature requests share common characteristics:

Clear Problem Focus: They identify a specific pain point rather than jumping straight to a solution

Real-World Evidence: They include concrete examples, user stories, or data showing the impact

Community Resonance: They address challenges that multiple community members face

Implementation Awareness: They consider technical feasibility and integration with existing workflows

Iterative Development: Authors engage with feedback and refine their ideas based on community input

Your Ideas, Our Platform’s Future

Every feature request is a potential improvement that could benefit the entire global Open edX community. That workflow enhancement you need might solve problems for hundreds of other educators. That innovative learning feature you’ve envisioned might unlock new possibilities for thousands of students.

Feature Requests is more than a new forum category; it’s a commitment to community-driven development. It’s recognition that the people using the Open edX platform every day have the best insights into how it can be improved.

Your voice matters. Your ideas have power. Your experience drives innovation.

The future of the Open edX platform isn’t just shaped by technical roadmaps and corporate priorities, it’s shaped by educators who want better tools, developers who see efficiency opportunities, and learners who deserve exceptional experiences.

Ready to submit your first feature request? Visit the Feature Requests category and help shape the future of the Open edX platcform. Together, we’re building not just better software, but better educational experiences for learners worldwide.

The post Feature Requests: Your Voice in Shaping the Open edX Platform appeared first on Open edX.

How Does It Work?

It’s a powerful yet intuitive tool that allows anyone to generate comprehensive Open edX courses in minutes. Simply provide a prompt, upload relevant documents, and let the AI do the initial heavy lifting.

Start with a topic 

Begin by entering the topic of your course. For example: ‘Data Privacy & Security for New Employees at ABC Corporation’. This sets the foundation for the AI. 

1. Upload  Documents: 

Upload one or multiple documents—handbooks, case studies, FAQs, or any reference material. The AI now pulls insights from all files together, making courses more contextual and accurate 

2. Set audience and duration: 

Specify the target audience (e.g., ‘new hires at ABC Corporation’) and expected duration (e.g., ‘2 hours’). This ensures examples, depth, and pacing match your learners 

3. Pick Components & Generate 
   Select the types of content you need: 

1. HTML Content: Clear, concise textual explanations. 

2. Assessments: Choose from MCQs, checkbox questions, text inputs, drop-down selections, numerical inputs. 

3. Images: Relevant images are automatically created and placed within the content. 

4. Videos: The AI can source relevant public videos (e.g., from YouTube) or pull from your connected video library. (Future integrations could even allow for AI-generated video content via tools like Synthesia). 

4. Interactive Course Outline: 

In seconds, the AI produces a structured outline (e.g., why privacy matters, handling customer data, phishing scenarios). With v2, you can drag and rearrange units, rename or delete sections, or prompt edits like: 

– ‘Add two more phishing examples’ 

– ‘Make this course strictly follow the uploaded documents.’ 

The AI updates instantly. 

5. Preview Before Download 

Once satisfied, click Approve to see a quick preview of the course. This gives you a sense of structure before finalizing. The full interactive version comes alive once imported into Open edX. 

6. Export & Import Seamlessly: 

Once you’re satisfied, the AI Course Creator packages everything into a standard .tar.gz file (typically taking up to 6 minutes to complete the course creation).   

Simply download it and upload it directly to your Open edX instance. From there, you can use the familiar Open edX Studio for any further fine-tuning or updates. 

By leveraging AI for foundational course-building tasks, you reclaim critical hours to dedicate towards strategic, high-value activities. Imagine swiftly moving from concept to delivery, without getting stuck in the initial creation phase.

Recall those long hours outlining courses or searching endlessly for visuals? With the AI Course Creator, your workflow becomes streamlined, efficient, and more creatively fulfilling.

Just the Beginning:

This tool marks one significant step towards our broader vision of enhancing learning ecosystem with AI. We’ll be launching AI-powered tools for Open edX platform, featuring advanced capabilities including:

1. AI Tutoring integrated seamlessly with Slack or MS Teams.

2. Adaptive AI powered Learning paths tailored to learner interactions.

3. AI agents for admin tasks.

And soon, the AI Course Creator will also be available as a plugin inside Open edX Studio – no external downloads required. 

Try the updated AI Course Creator. Share your feedback – it’s exactly how we built v2, and how we’ll keep pushing it forward. 

The post Introducing the AI Course Creator for the Open edX Platform appeared first on Open edX.

Whether you’re looking to customize your learning experience, extend platform functionality, or integrate with third-party tools, the Tutor Deck provides a centralized directory of available plugins, all in one place.

Easily Browse and Manage Plugins

The Tutor Deck introduces a clean, user-friendly interface where you can:

• Browse a curated catalog of available plugins
• Install and enable plugins with a single click
• Configure plugin settings with a built-in editor

No more switching between tabs or running complex commands just to get started. The Tutor Deck brings plugin discovery and management front and center.

Power Users Welcome: Developer Mode with Built-in CLI

For developers and advanced users, the Tutor Deck also includes a Developer Mode with a built-in Command Line Interface (CLI).

You can:

• Enter Tutor commands directly in the search box
• Instantly view command output
• Use it for quick fixes, debugging, and team collaboration

It’s everything you love about the CLI — now inside a streamlined interface.

Getting Started

Installing Tutor Deck is quick and easy; just run the following commands:

tutor plugins update

tutor plugins install deck

tutor plugins enable deck

Run the Tutor Deck server:

tutor deck runserver

Then open your browser and go to: http://localhost:3274

Looking for a step-by-step guide? Visit Edly Academy for a complete tutorial on installing and setting up the Tutor Deck.

What’s Next

This is just the beginning. We’ll be:

• Adding more plugins over time
• Working with third-party services and organizations to expand the ecosystem
• Improving the user experience, performance, and flexibility of the dashboard
• Enhancing plugin management and configuration tools
• Supporting team workflows, integrations, and custom extensions

We’re also looking to provide a pathway for developers and organizations to publish their own plugins to the Tutor Marketplace.

To learn more or express interest, send us an email at tutor@edly.io.

Get Involved

The Tutor Deck is still in its early stages. Some features, such as running job commands or executing Tutor commands from outside the browser-based CLI, may not yet be fully supported. That said, we’re thrilled to release this early version to the community.

We welcome your feedback, bug reports, feature suggestions, and of course, pull requests!

This is a community-driven project, and we’re just getting started.

The post Launching the Tutor Deck: A New Home for Open edX Plugins appeared first on Open edX.

Online assessments have revolutionized education and professional certification, offering accessibility and convenience like never before. However, with these advancements come new challenges—chief among them is the rise of sophisticated cheating methods powered by AI and emerging technologies. Today, traditional proctoring methods are often inadequate in detecting modern cheating techniques, making AI-powered solutions essential for ensuring exam integrity.

Also, check this video to learn modern cheating techniques – https://youtu.be/79EMhZbP73Q

The Evolution of Cheating in Online Exams

Cheating has evolved far beyond simple textbook references or whispered answers. Some of the most concerning modern cheating methods include:

1. AI-Powered Answer Generators

Students now use AI-powered tools, such as ChatGPT-like models and purpose-built exam assistance programs, to generate real-time answers. These tools can be embedded in various applications or accessed through discreet means, making detection difficult.

2. Smart Wearable Devices

Smartwatches, AR glasses, and hidden earpieces allow test-takers to receive external help without raising suspicion. These devices can discreetly display information or transmit answers via voice commands.

3. Remote Collaboration & Screen Sharing

Unauthorized screen-sharing software enables test-takers to receive live assistance from external individuals. With covert remote access, another person can manipulate the test-taker’s screen and provide answers.

4. Impersonation & Deepfake Technology

Identity fraud in online exams is now facilitated by deepfake technology, where test-takers use AI-generated face and voice manipulation to impersonate another individual. This makes simple photo or ID verification methods insufficient.

5. Browser Manipulation & Automated Scripts

Tech-savvy students exploit vulnerabilities in online testing platforms using browser plugins or automated scripts that fetch answers without triggering standard security measures.

How Talview’s AI-Powered Proctoring Tackles These Challenges

To combat these modern cheating methods, Talview’s AI-powered remote proctoring solutions have become indispensable.

Alvy – AI Proctoring Agent – Powered by LLMs and advanced algorithms, Alvy – AI Proctoring Agent

Remote Proctoring – Talview offers various remote proctoring solutions, including Alvy, Automated Proctoring, Record & Review, and Live Proctoring, fit for your needs.

Secondary Camera Monitoring – All our proctoring solutions have Secondary camera monitoring which captures a wider view of the test-taker’s environment to detect hidden devices or external assistance.

ID Verification – Prevent proxy candidates and deepfakes from attending the exam by verifying candidates with face-photo ID matching technology and keeping the integrity of your exam intact.

Secure Exam Browser – Secure browser restricts access to external websites, prevents copy-pasting, and blocks multiple screen usage.

Empowering Learners Globally – Cambridge Assessments

Cambridge University Press & Assessment faced an urgent need to transition its Linguaskill English proficiency test from in-person to online exams with remote proctoring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their primary challenges included ensuring a seamless candidate experience, maintaining data security and GDPR compliance, and adapting to diverse cultural and technological landscapes.

After evaluating multiple solutions, Cambridge selected Talview for its user-friendly interface, seamless integration, and robust data security. Talview’s AI-powered remote proctoring enabled Cambridge to maintain its on-demand testing model, enhance candidate satisfaction, and scale globally with over 200 agents and 5000+ candidates using the solution.

Key results:

High candidate satisfaction with a smooth, software-free proctoring experience.

Scalability & accessibility across global markets, including Japan, India, and Latin America.

Expanded business opportunities, allowing Cambridge to offer remote exams internationally.

Talview’s adaptability and proactive support helped Cambridge turn remote proctoring into a long-term strategic advantage, ensuring Linguaskill remained a trusted, globally accessible English proficiency test.

The Future of Exam Integrity

As AI-powered cheating methods become more advanced, institutions must stay ahead with equally sophisticated proctoring solutions. By leveraging AI-driven monitoring, behavioral analytics, and multi-layered security, educators and certification bodies can safeguard the credibility of online assessments.

The message is clear: in the digital age, only AI can counter AI when it comes to protecting exam integrity. Institutions that fail to adapt risk compromising the value of their certifications and the trust of their stakeholders.

Is Your Exam Integrity at Risk?

Ensure your assessments remain credible and secure with AI-powered proctoring. Learn more about Talview how modern solutions can help you combat evolving cheating techniques.

Author: Surabhi Soparkar
About Author: Surabhi, is a product enthusiast with a strong background in marketing and communications in Retail and Consulting. As a Product Marketing Manager at Talview, she brings awesome products to market.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/surabhisoparkar/ 

The post Proctoring in the Age of AI: Tackling Modern Cheating Techniques appeared first on Open edX.

The Open edX project is run by Axim Collaborative. They bring together the right partners to ensure that the Open edX Platform remains the best open source learning technology. Axim selected Open edX partner OpenCraft to improve the Open edX Platform to allow learners, faculty, and administrators to better find, organize, and link to content by component or course.

For example, with the new capability, content owners and instructional designers can search for  tags that match their requirements and apply them to their course content. Administrators gain better control over taxonomies, either their own or of third-parties like Open Skills Network or Lightcast Skills, that help them categorize and sort content for better retrieval and understanding. For learners, it means quickly finding the right course to meet their needs.

Adding tags to content is only the start of the Open edX Platform’s Content Tagging Strategy that ultimately will enable authors to build adaptive experiences customized to individual learner profiles and let learners create self-directed learning pathways.

The new tagging system is flexible, allowing users to tag all levels of an Open edX course—from the course as a whole, to its sections, subsections, units, and individual components. The tagging functionality comes with a search feature. For example, say a course developer needs to build a new course and doesn’t know if there might be existing content that she can reuse. With the Open edX platform’s content tagging capability, she can search for tags that match her course requirements.  In the example below, she finds four modules that had been tagged by their creators and adds them to her course. In this way, course authors can quickly build new courses while leveraging the most relevant content. 

Powerful search functionality enables content authors to find items within a course or library using either free-text search or tag-based filtering. Users can refine their search results by content type to make it easier to find a specific section, subsection, unit, or component within a course.

Besides the tagging tool, this effort also includes a taxonomy management system which provides a list of the taxonomies that are available to the user. It also allows authors to import third-party taxonomies like the Open Skills Management Network, or use custom taxonomies created by the organization. Once imported, the user can manage the taxonomy in a number of ways, including editing and updating the taxonomy. Changes will automatically be applied across any course content that has been tagged using the affected taxonomy.

The new capabilities include a taxonomy editor and tagging drawer that primarily uses pre-built components from the  Paragon Design System. A design system is a set of reusable UI elements that deliver visual consistency. By using pre-made components, we ensure the design stays in line with the broader Open edX ecosystem. It also saves development time, prioritizes accessibility, responsiveness, and scalability, and allows us to benefit from ongoing updates from the community.

The Content Tagging feature became available to the Open edX community with the release of Redwood in June 2024. It has continued to grow and improve as the Content Libraries project. We’re thrilled to see course authors actively using the feature and excited to support its continued development.

The post Introducing Content Tagging appeared first on Open edX.

This project aims to allow instructors to create their own learner groups for which they can filter any Aspects course-level dashboard. For this initial release, instructors on instances using Aspects will be able to filter course level dashboards by a learner group to view enrollment, engagement, and performance data for any group. In the future, we aim for this feature to be used for other purposes such as powering tailored communication and learner interventions.

The goal for this initial release is to allow instructors to create, name, view, and update learner groups for their courses. Instructors should be able to create groups of learners by uploading a CSV file or to define a group of learners by shared criteria.

We are seeking proposals from existing community members as well as qualified organizations looking for a first project to join the community. All proposals from providers interested in undertaking this work must be submitted by 2/07/2025.

If you’re interested, see the post on discourse for more information. Feel free to reach out to Chelsea Rathbun at crathbun@axim.org if you have any questions.

The post Axim Funded Contribution: Facilitating the creation of Learner Groups appeared first on Open edX.

This project aims to equip instructors with learner and content performance metrics directly in Studio. We are seeking proposals from existing community members as well as qualified organizations looking for a first project to join the community. All proposals from providers interested in undertaking this work must be submitted by 2/07/2025.

If you’re interested, see the post on discourse for more information. Feel free to reach out to Chelsea Rathbun at crathbun@axim.org if you have any questions.

The post Axim Funded Contribution: In-Context Metrics for Studio appeared first on Open edX.

We’re excited to announce a collaboration between our Partner, Aulasneo, and Axim Collaborative to enhance the Roles and Permissions system on the Open edX platform. Our goal? To make roles and permissions management more intuitive and tailored to the needs of our community.

To help us better understand how you interact with Roles and Permissions, we’ve created a brief survey designed to capture your insights and experiences. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes, and every response will directly inform the next steps in this project.

Whether you use Roles and Permissions frequently or only occasionally, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Let us know about any areas that you find challenging, features you think could improve the experience, or even aspects you feel are missing altogether.

Your feedback will help ensure that this feature evolves to meet the diverse needs of our community. There are no wrong answers—your honest input is what matters most.

Take a few minutes to complete the survey here and join us in continuing to enhance the Open edX platform! Thank you for your time and support. Together, we’re creating a platform that empowers educators and learners alike.

The post Enhancing Roles and Permissions on the Open edX Platform: We Want Your Feedback! appeared first on Open edX.

Visit the Sandbox

Why Register on the Redwood Sandbox?

Experience the Redwood Release First-Hand:

Get to know the newest Open edX release, Redwood, which was launched in June 2024. Explore exciting new features such as the Content Tagging feature, where tags are structured into Taxonomies, the new navigation experience, and the revolutionary Aspects data and analytics tool designed to provide course creators and administrators with valuable insights on user behavior and performance. Learn more here.

Free and Unrestricted Access:

There is no cost or commitment required to use the public sandbox! Simply register and explore the various user roles the platform offers at your own pace. Experiment with course creation tools and familiarize yourself with the Redwood release and its user interface (UI). The Open edX sandbox provides a risk-free environment to test and evaluate whether this LMS solution suits your project requirements and goals.

Hands-On Discovery for All:

Whether you are an experienced course content developer, new to online learning, or simply curious about the Open edX LMS, this public sandbox is the perfect way to get started.

Seamless Sandbox Development and Maintenance:

Abstract Technology, a verified and trusted service provider in the Open edX community, supports the development and maintenance of this robust and user-friendly sandbox.

The Open edX Sandbox is Perfect for:

Educators and Trainers:

Learn about the latest tools and functionalities in the Open edX platform to streamline online course delivery.

Learning Experience and Instructional Designers:

Experiment with Open edX Redwood’s features to create engaging, interactive, and collaborative e-learning experiences for every type of learner.

Anyone Interested in Open edX:

Explore and evaluate the potential of the Open edX platform for creating and delivering online learning programs.

If you are interested in an Open edX deployment, whether as a SaaS or on-premise solution, simply contact a provider from the marketplace list or reach out directly to Abstract Technology. The open-source community is here to provide help and support for your project. Get in touch with us.

Content Tagging and Taxonomies:

With the new Redwood release, the Open edX platform has introduced a feature that will revolutionize the way educators interact with course content: Taxonomy. This feature offers numerous advantages that enhance the overall learning experience.

Taxonomy allows for a structured classification of course materials. By categorizing content into specific tags and groups, educators can ensure that the material is well-structured. This makes it easier for instructors to navigate through courses, locate specific topics, and understand the relationships between different pieces of content.

Additionally, taxonomies can be uploaded directly into the Open edX Studio. Templates for uploading taxonomies are available for download in Studio as CSV or JSON files. Teachers can easily implement a taxonomy without having to create it from scratch. Download the example files for taxonomies here (CSV and JSON).

This sandbox is hosted by Abstract Technology, an Open edX Partner, and is publicly accessible, ensuring a seamless and familiar experience. With our expertise in developing and customizing Open edX e-learning solutions, we have developed this valuable resource for the community and actively maintain it.

Our team has poured immense effort and passion into this sandbox. We are incredibly proud of what our developers have accomplished for the Open edX community. This sandbox represents the latest advancements and best practices in the Open edX platform, and we are confident that it will meet the high expectations of users and learners worldwide.

Head over to the Open edX sandbox and get ready to explore the exciting world of the Open edX Redwood release. We are proud to empower educators, instructional designers, and learners everywhere with this free and accessible sandbox environment.

The Importance of a Continuous Feedback Loop:

We are always open to feedback and suggestions for improvement. Feel free to contact us and share your thoughts to help us make the sandbox even better.

Only with your feedback can we continuously refine our services and products to meet the needs of our customers and prospects. If you want to share feedback, please use the contact form. Also, check other resources like:

• The Open edX Extensions Directory
• The Open edX Feature List

Already have a running Open edX platform but want to learn more about how to use and implement specific components? Take a look at the How-To-Video series on the Open edX YouTube channel.

If you encounter any problems with the sandbox or have recommendations, suggestions for improvement, or other topics about the sandbox, you can share them here, and we’ll help address your concerns.

The post Explore the Redwood release in the new Open edX sandbox appeared first on Open edX.