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TOC Meeting Notes - 2024-12-10

TOC Meeting Notes - 2024-12-10

Attendees

The Technical Oversight Committee met on Dec 10, 2024 with the following members in attendance:

  • Anant Agarwal (2U)

  • Edward Zarecor (Axim) 

  • Ferdi Alimadhi (MIT)

  • George Babey (2U)

  • Nacho Despujol (Instructor Representative, UPV)

  • Régis Behmo (Operator & Core Contributor Representative, Edly)

  • Xavier Antoviaque (User/Learner representative, OpenCraft)

Additionally present for the market research discussion:

  • Annabel Cellini

Announcements

Partnership & New TOC Member

It was announced that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) had been signed with a large university, which involves them joining the Technical Oversight Committee (TOC) starting in the new year. The announcement of a new member from that organization joining the meetings from February was mentioned, and plans were in place to work with their communications team on a further public announcement.

Migration of 2U Engineers to the core contributor program

An update was provided regarding the migration of all 2U engineers to the core contributor program for obtaining permissions within the project. Existing permissions will be grandfathered into core contributor & maintainers status, but obtaining new permissions will require following the same standards as the rest of the community, going forward. 

On the flip side, it will require the community to keep stepping up its contributions in core contributor & maintainers time, to compensate for the shift of responsibility to the community.

Aligning 2U engineers and practices with the community guidelines requires a fair amount of changes within 2U, the rough timeline for the completion of this migration is set for February. 

2025 Conference Update

Information was shared about the progress of arranging the upcoming conference, emphasizing that the Call for Proposals (CFP) had closed, and the submissions were under review. It was mentioned that the selection process involved a juried review by community members and stakeholders using a tool called Sessionize. The results were expected to be finalized soon, with keynote announcements pending.

Sumac Release

Concurrently with the meeting, the Sumac release ceremony was being held, though it has since been delayed by a few days. This release is significant and incorporates new functionalities like a central content library, enhancing content reusability across courses. Draft release notes were shared, and community contributions to this release were acknowledged, appreciating last-minute fixes and enhancements.

Market Research

During the presentation of a market research analysis performed for Open edX, extensive discussions centered around identifying the most beneficial markets and strategic focus areas for Open edX. The dialogue primarily navigated through the merits and potential of targeting specific sectors such as community colleges, ministries, corporate training, and certain international educational initiatives.

Presentation

Market Identification

  • Introduced the core market segments that Open edX could serve effectively: community colleges, ministries, and employers.

  • Emphasized the growing need for upskilling across these segments, both in the U.S. and globally.

  • Highlighted the potential in non-credit educational programs which are rapidly growing and are underserved by current Learning Management Systems (LMS).

Go-To-Market Strategy

  • Suggested that a channel partner model should be the primary route to market rather than Open edX building out a large direct sales force.

  • Discussed the benefits of leveraging existing relationships that channel partners may have within the educational and corporate sectors.

  • Shared insights on the substantial investments typically required for go-to-market activities citing examples from other companies in the education industry.

 

Barriers and Opportunities

  • Acknowledged the technical challenges and support issues currently facing new users of Open edX, stressing the need for improvements to user experience and platform accessibility.

  • The discussion also covered the necessity of raising market awareness given the low existing visibility of Open edX among potential users and partners.

Strategic Partnerships and Engagements

  • Detailed current discussions with large international organizations, aimed at using Open edX for large-scale educational initiatives.

  • Expressed the need to identify and engage with more partners who can aid in distribution and localized support.

Comments & Discussions

Market Scope

  • How would the proposed focus on community colleges, ministries, and employers differ in terms of product requirements or market approach?

    The presenter emphasized that the core capabilities of Open edX would remain consistent across different verticals. It was noted that one platform could serve multiple market segments due to its versatility, especially in handling asynchronous learning and micro-credentialing which is common to community colleges, employers, and higher education.

  • Concerns were raised about possibly neglecting the broader higher education market, including traditional four-year institutions.

    Clarified that while the initial focus might be community colleges for quicker market entry and pilot testing, the strategy does not exclude traditional four-year institutions. The aim is to eventually penetrate all segments of higher education by adapting the platform to meet various learning scenarios.

Technical and Support

  • Questions about specific plans to address the ease of installation and ongoing support issues.

    Acknowledged the issue and outlined plans to simplify the platform's installation process and reduce maintenance overheads. It was recognized that ease of use is critical irrespective of the market focus, and ongoing efforts include streamlining operations and enhancing the user interface.

  • How Open edX plans to scale support to meet the needs of a broader user base without significant direct support capabilities.

    The strategy hinges on more deeply integrating with channel partners who can offer localized support. Open edX plans to focus on providing adequate resources and training to these partners rather than building a large in-house support team.

Partnership Strategies

  • Clarifications were sought on how channel partnerships would be identified, vetted, and managed.

    Channel partners would be selected based on their established presence and credibility in respective markets, with a clear ability to distribute and support the platform. The process involves rigorous vetting for technical expertise, market reach, and alignment with Open edX’s mission.

  • Interest in understanding the criteria for selecting channel partners and the support structures that would be put in place to facilitate these partnerships.

    Discussed plans to develop support structures that include comprehensive partner training, shared marketing efforts, and regular communication channels to ensure partners are well-equipped to handle deployment and user support.

Investment and Resource Allocation

  • Inquiries about the level of investment planned for marketing and development.

    While exact figures were not shared, it was highlighted that investments would be significant but proportional to achievable outcomes and scoped within the available resources. Priority would be given to partnerships and sectors with the highest potential for quick wins and strategic value.

  • Questions on how resources would be allocated across the different suggested markets and what metrics or outcomes would define success in each.

    Resources will initially target markets ready for quick deployment and where Open edX is likely to make an immediate impact. As market presence grows, investments would diversify into other areas based on ongoing market analysis and success metrics.