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This community proposal aims to establish a global Open edX extensions marketplace. The marketplace will enhance the Open edX platform's visibility by attracting new operators seeking customizable and modular LMS solutions. It will also expand the platform's capabilities and foster community growth.
In this proposal, we analyze existing marketplace solutions and identify key features that could serve as prototypes for the Open edX marketplace. We also outline a process for maintaining and supporting the marketplace through community working groups.
Additionally, we evaluate a technical approach for integrating new solutions into the marketplace using Tutor plugins, along with centralized and third-party Tutor Plugin Indexes. Extensions may include but not limited to Python and ReactJS extensions of the platform core, infrastructure extension using Tutor plugins mechanism, Mobile plugins for Open edX mobile apps, xBlocks, integrations with 3rd party systems in the form of Tutor plugin.
The work on this proposal was started as Marketing-wg initiative and can be tracked using this GitHub issue.
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Based on the preliminary analysis of the marketplace solsolutionssolutions, gma figma mockups for the future marketplace UI/UX were prepared. These mockups include all necessary elements that marketplace should have, with mapping general ideas to Open edX context and presenting each marketplace entry as a tutor plugin.
Figma mockups can be found there:https://www.figma.com/design/EtOhGYUsv9E2Sm68oGJcCU/Open-edX-Marketplace?node-id=0-1&t=lJ4fASw8D7T3bE6E-1
What extensions will be available on the marketplace?
Extensions on the marketplace may include but not limited to Python and ReactJS extensions of the platform core, infrastructure extension using Tutor plugins mechanism, Mobile plugins for Open edX mobile apps, xBlocks, integrations with 3rd party systems in the form of Tutor plugin. Additionally, Open edX themes for platform and Paragon design system can be published on the marketplace under separate category themes.
Catalog page mockup
The marketplace catalog should include a search field and filters.
Each entry includes title, description, and a set of additional attributes described below.
It is proposed for the Marketplace catalog page to include the following categories:
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Other named attributes are considered to be added to enhance user experience, e.g., attr - Solution Type: with values Python extension, MFE extension, Mobile extensions, etc., or attr - Domain: with values Micro-credentials, Learning, Teaching, etc.
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Extension details / overview page
Plugin should be downloadable from the site and/or include View Source button with a direct link to GitHub repository.
Each catalog entry should include all the necessary attributes that are used for the filtering of the content. We propose to use a tabbed layout on the details page, including the following tabs:
Overview - Main information about the plugin, the idea is to either use Readme.md parsed directly from the repository or additional markdown document that can be put into docs directory in the repository.
More details - Include all the extension attributes in the table form
Reviews - Functionality for leaving comments and reviews
Versions - Table view of all available versions for package in relation to named release with View Source and Download buttons
Installation - Detailed instructions on how to install and configure plugin
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Installation details
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Utilizing Tutor Plugins Index to add new extensions to marketplace
TBD
Process for maintaining Open edX Extensions Marketplace
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The context diagram for the Open edX Extensions Marketplace includes five stakeholder roles Marketing Working Group, Maintenance Working Group, OeX Community Developers, Entities using OeX, Entities looking for LMS. Although, this list of stakeholders considered comprehensive for the first phases, additional stakeholders as Product-WG can be added with additional purpose as OeX Marketplace is growing.
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The selected activities in the OeX Marketplace context are described in the table below
Stakeholder | EventActivity | Process Description | Outcome |
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Marketing Working Group | Develop Marketplace that is available on http://openedx.org | Create and continually enhance the OeX Extension Marketplace, both in terms of technical capabilities and operational procedures. |
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Maintain Process and operate OeX Extensions Marketplace | The Marketing Working Group will continuously review and and update processes within the Marketplace of Open edX Extensions including moderation extenstions that were reported by users. |
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Review extension application | Marketing Working Group review plugins descriptions and visual materials before publishing |
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Promote marketplace | The Marketing Working Group undertakes search engine optimization of the marketplace and promotes it through its various channels. |
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Collect analytics | The marketing team conducts an analysis of extension popularity, user feedback, and platform visit changes to gain insights into user and market requirements. |
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Maintenance Working Group | Review the extensions from a technical perspective.Maintain official plugins | The maintenance working group reviews technical aspects of the extension applied to be published updates versions and maintains official plugins so that they correspond to the declared criteria for publishing on marketplace. |
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OeX Community Developers | Develop extensions | OeX Community Developers constantly develop new extensions for Open edX |
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Apply to publish extension | OeX Community Developers have a clear guidance how to publish the extensions on Marketplace. After development extensions are applied to be shared on OeX Extension Marketplace |
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Maintain extension | OeX Community Developers update their extensions to keep it up to date with new releases of OeX |
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Integrate plugins from marketplace | OeX Community Developers incorporate extensions from the Marketplace into their instances |
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Leave feedback | OeX Community Developers provide feedback on enhancements or issues of extensions |
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Entities using OeX | Discover additional OeX capabilities | Entities using OeX discover further capabilities of OeX LMS available through extensions on OeX Extensions Marketplace |
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Integrate plugins from marketplace | Entities using OeX incorporate extensions from the Marketplace into their instances |
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Use extensions & leave feedback | Entities using OeX provide feedback on enhancements or issues of extensions |
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Entities looking for LMS | Discover OeX capabilities | Entities looking for LMS discover further capabilities of OeX LMS available through extensions on OeX Extensions Marketplace and take this into considiration |
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What extensions will be available on the platform?
Official plugins — required for services that are placed in OeX Repository on GitHub.
Community plugins
xBlocks
3rd party tools
integrations
Themes
What shall be included
Short info (release date, developed by, updated date, releases supported)
Extension description
Integration description
Images & Videos
Rating & Comment section
access plugin marketplace from tutor
Open questions
Milestones
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Open questions
Maintenance cost for keeping marketplace up to date
How to scale the process without losing quality overtime
Milestones
We suggest splitting the implementation for new marketplace into several milestones, assessing results and gathering more feedback in between.
Discovery: Jun 2024 - September 2024
Milestone #1: Marketplace pilot development for official and selected plugins
Milestone #2: Establishing process for using Tutor plugin indexes as the mechanism to discover and include extensions on the marketplace
Milestone #3: Include OeX extension marketplace as part of tutor tooling (Web frontend for Tutor plugin indexes)
Milestone #4: One-click installations from marketplace
Timeline
Milestone #1: Marketplace pilot development for official and selected plugins - Q3 - Q4 2024
Milestone #2: TBD
Future opportunities
Include marketplace into each Tutor-based Open edX installation
Paid extensions
AI recommendation
Authors
Proposal prepared by Glib Glugovskiy and Mykhailo Marshalok
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