Open EdX: the Power behind Pepper

Pepper, the easy-to-use online learning community is what we see. But, behind the fancy graphics and text is a powerful piece of software. Pepper is powered by OpenEdX software. So, what does that mean? What is EdX? According to their website, “EdX is a non profit online initiative created by founding partners Harvard and MIT and composed of dozens of leading global institutions, the xConsortium. EdX offers interactive online courses and MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course) from the world’s best universities and institutions.” EdX code is available freely to the online community which allows institutions to offer their own classes. Educators can also use edX to build learning tools that will meet their needs. OpenEdX allows education developers to create courses that include discussion capabilities. It also provides the capability for users to register for and receive certificates of completion for courses they complete. Course creators also have the ability to collect data through the program, but that data is solely controlled by the organization that produces these programs.

Pepper developers use OpenEdX to bring you a vibrant place for online professional development. Pepper has used the software to add a social aspect to the program where users can search for people, add them to their professional network, and send notifications to other users. Other new components that Pepper has added include the use of portfolios for tracking course work and  “My Chunks”. The goal of the “My Chunks” functionality is to create a bank of “just-in-time” chunks of learning that can be bookmarked and accessed at a later visit. Content can be “flagged” during visits to the course and stored in a single location for access and sharing.

Pepper’s use of OpenEdX software allows you, the user, to be part of a cutting edge learning community that is growing - and will continue to grow and add new features. We hope these features will make your online professional development the best that it can be.

Also, as you explore Pepper's professional development, be sure to visit all of our course offerings on our website for great learning opportunities.

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