Why not use WordPress or Drupal instead of Open edX?
Duke University has decided to shut down its Open edX platform, which empowered the Duke Extend service, arguing precisely this.
Michael Greene, Associate Director of Learning Technology Services and Strategy, states: “If you don’t need the assessment features and just want to share your content with a wider audience, why not use a content management system like WordPress or Drupal?”
In terms of engagement, this is Duke’s reasoning: “If you want highly engaged discussion, why not use Slack or Microsoft Teams?”
“By using the online.duke.edu catalog as our communication and marketing platform, we are now free to choose the most appropriate technology for delivering a Duke Extend learning experience.”
“We are very excited about the possibilities this change opens up for Learning Innovation and our partners,” wrote Mr. Greene.
For now, all active Duke Extend courses have been moved to Sakai. “The new look for Extend has a clean, streamlined design that will allow us to create a more guided learning experience for students,” literally said Heather Hans, Learning Experience Designer.
See the layout above.
“Duke Extends lives on multiple technology platforms. (…) We want to help high schoolers before they get to Duke, offer any current student the ability to level up with co-curricular learning, help graduate and professional schools expand their online education, and serve alumni in their lifelong learning needs,” said Michael Greene.
“As a department, we’ve rebranded and restructured ourselves to help achieve those goals. We also need technology infrastructure to facilitate them.”
The Open edX technology, universally used by top universities and consortiums, won’t be part of the equation.
• Duke Learning Innovation: Duke Extend Is Dead. Long Live Duke Extend.
