Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ OpenStax Launches Learning Platform

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

Rice University's OpenStax, which once upon a time was known as a free textbook site called Connexions, has launched Tutor Beta, an online learning platform that will make three courses -- biology, physics and sociology -- available this fall. I'm thinking that the textbook project felt it was missing out on the MOOC phenomenon (MOOCS: still not dead). "Tutor Beta breaks OpenStax's textbooks into smaller chunks, testing students with short answer and multiple-choice questions. The platform also feeds information about how students are learning to instructors." They want to integrate with a "major learning management system" as well. And there's another commercial MOOC trend they have been missing out on: revenue. "Tutor Beta also represents a new revenue stream -- $10 per student per course." Because in the brave new world of open educational resources, nothing says "free" like a subscription charge.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Dec 13, 2024 12:18 a.m.

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