Popular Features
Open edX® has a massive range of features and it’s hard to choose our favourite without leaving out all the other great features. However on this page we have highlighted a small selection of the most popular features that make Open edX® the world’s best open source LMS platform. One of the many benefits of Open edX® is that you can customise it, so if you are looking for a feature that is not available, it may be possible to find a 3rd party plugin or develop it from scratch. Feel free to contact us for a free demo and assessment and we will be happy to answer any questions you have.
Course Authoring Tools
Authoring your courses in Open edX® is done in the built-in Course Management System (CMS) which is named Studio. It offers a multitude of features to help you build state-of-the-art academic experiences. The more you explore Open edX® Studio the more features you will discover. Most features come included in the standard distribution of Open edX®, but keep in mind that some features need special configuration by us.
Multimedia Content Types
Build your courses using a rich variety of multimedia, including text, images, links, PDFs, audio files, documents, videos and more.
Google Docs
Insert a Google Calendar, embed a Google Doc for open collaboration, or add Google Slides right inside your course.
Conditional Release
This feature allows you to release content based on conditions, such as completing a specific quiz or unit, or answering a certain poll or survey.
LTI
Configure your platform to be a LTI provider or a LTI consumer.
Staff Graded Assignments with Personalised Feedback
This allows learners to upload assignments and files for instructor grading and feedback.
In-Video Quiz/Assessments
Add quizzes inside your videos to support knowledge retention.
Proctored Exams
It’s possible to integrate a 3rd party exam proctoring tool.
Library Content (Selection or Randomisation)
Create content libraries in your course and draw from them randomly or by selection.
Learner Pathways
It’s possible to configure learning pathways.
Polls and Surveys
Insert a poll or survey into your course.
Localisation
Add different languages to your platform.
Video Conferencing
Embed all sorts of video streaming services like Zoom, BigBlueButton, Vimeo and Wistia to name a few.
Content Dripping/Scheduled Release
You can choose whether a course is self-paced in which case all content is released at once, or instructor-paced in which case you can choose the date and time that the content will be released.
Custom Pages
Add custom pages to your course.
SCORM
Add SCORM files inside your course within seconds.
Visibility
Courses can be public (open for public enrolment) or private (by invitation only)
Prerequisite Courses and Subsections
Make passing one course a prerequisite to accessing another one. It’s also possible to configure subsections in a similar way.
Course Announcements/Updates
Broadcast messages to your learners on the spot or on a schedule. These updates are stored so the learner can access them again anytime.
Editable Gradebook
Edit your learners grades by means of an easy-to-use gradebook interface.
Course Recommendations
Get recommendations for other courses.
Right to Left Languages (e.g. Arabic, Mandarin)
Arabic and other right-to-left languages are supported.
Learning Experience
Teaching and learning in Open edX® happens in the built-in Learner Management System (LMS) which is where you learners and instructors login to access their courses. It offers offers a modern and breathable design that puts the focus on the learning content. It is packed full of useful tools that the learners and instructors can make use while sharing the education experience together. Most features come included in the standard distribution of Open edX®, but keep in mind that some features need special configuration by us.
User Tours
On-screen tours help you understand the course layout fast.
Notes
Learners often want to take down their own notes when watching a video or when going over course materials. These notes get stored in an easy to find location with links to the related unit.
Schedule Reminders for Weekly Learning Goals
Learners set a goal for how frequently they want to learn per course and get reminder emails about their goals.
Team Discussions
Learners can join teams to have focused discussions with their peers. Learners can either be auto-added to teams at random, or added to specific teams by the instructors.
Automated Progress Tracking
Course units with text and images will be automatically marked as complete when it has been on screen for 5 seconds, videos will be automatically marked as complete when 95% of it has been watched, and graded problems will be automatically marked as complete when they have been attempted/answered. A bright green checkmark will appear for completed content.
Bookmarks
Course units can be bookmarked for easy access in the future.
Calculator
An on-screen calculator can be added to the learning experience.
Custom Learning Sequences
Content is presented to learners in many ways on the edX platform, and the way learners engage with this content is the learning sequence: a set of interwoven videos, readings, exercises and discussions that cover a specific topic.
Pick up where you left off
The system remembers the last place in the course you visited and can take you back there the next time you start learning again by clicking the Start Course button. If you’re watching a video, it will take you back to the exact same spot you left off.
LinkedIn Certificates
Learners can share their certificate to their LinkedIn profile.
Progress Page
Current course completion is shown as a percentage, and current grade is shown as a percentage alongside the passing grade. There are also links to all graded activities for quick access.