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[Brief] Modular Content Delivery - Platform Strategy

[Brief] Modular Content Delivery - Platform Strategy

Goal of this document:

There are currently 8 proposals (linked below) in the product pipeline related to the concept of modular content sequencing and delivery. (From edly, Schema, edunext, OpenCraft, Unicon.) Each touches on various parts of the workflow, but no single proposal encompasses the entire workflow.

This document is intended to:

  • articulate a platform-level strategy under which we can align the proposals

  • get aligned on what general capabilities we need to build

  • identify any gaps 

  • raise open questions around scope and implementation strategy

Strategic Platform Goal: 

The Open edX platform needs a unified, generalized, flexible way for course teams, instructional designers and administrators to sequence, bundle and deliver learning pathways. The structure and content of these learning pathways may be varied, for example, a sequence of courses to create a program, or a sequence of lessons to create a competency, or a micro-credential or a non-credit pathway. What we need to build is the generalized feature set (or set of capabilities) that enables flexible pathways to be constructed, named, configured and delivered. (See below for possible MVP and phasing, under each major capability/feature.)

We need to consider each step of the learner and administrator workflows:

  1. Admins/course teams need to create and configure the learning sequences, including the remix and reuse of content

  2. Learning sequences need to be configurable for grading rubrics, pre-requisites, completion criteria, competency frameworks

  3. Learners need to be able to find and enroll in learning sequences

  4. Learners need to be able to track their progress through a sequence

  5. Learners need to obtain a credential on completion of a sequence

This capability touches many parts of the platform, including: 

  1. Catalog (for searching and enrolling)

  2. Studio and Libraries (for building the sequences)

  3. Learner Dashboard and LMS (for tracking progress)

  4. Credentials Service/Wallet

Value Proposition: 

Each of the 8 proposals is grounded in user data and use cases that illustrate the growing market need and interest in more flexible approaches to learning, microcredentials and competency-aligned learning. Eg, Eg, Eg, Eg.

Generally, enabling organizations to define and customize the size and shape of their learning pathways, in alignment with their institutional goals and pedagogical outcomes, is a key part of the platform’s extensibility strategy. 

Additionally, this will open the door for institutions to create and deliver microcredentials, non-credit pathways and competency-based pathways, all of which are foundational to upskilling and reskilling initiatives and workforce development.

General high-level capabilities/features

An interface for course teams and administrators to build, name, and configure the sequences.

Alignment from proposals:

  • Edly has proposed a sequencing feature which would allow teams to specify program types, sequence courses, configure completion conditions. No authoring takes place in this feature, only sequencing. Their designs are scoped to sequencing courses to create programs.

  • Schema has proposed a Grouping Product feature similar to Edly’s, that also includes the ability to sequence Library content. 

  • Schema has also proposed a new content type, Learning Sequences, but there are questions to untangle here such as the difference between a Learning Sequence and stackable subsections or sections, for example.

  • OC has proposed a sequencing feature similar to Edly’s, which enables admins to choose courses to sequence and apply metadata and completion conditions.

  • Unicon has proposed a milestone that associates competencies to content sequences with assessment criteria

Examples of general requirements (not exhaustive):

  • Sequences can be defined and named/titled

  • Content in sequences can be ordered and re-ordered

  • Completion criteria can be specified and is flexible (ie, learner needs to complete 3 of 5 sequences, etc)

  • Sequences (and content within them) can be aligned to competency frameworks and assessment criteria

  • Designed for integration with credential wallets or LRS. Student state must be stored for new types of enrollable learning experiences as it is for courses today.  Events should be available at expected points, for example, start, and completion.

Possible phasing:

  1. MVP - Courses can be sequenced into programs

  2. Phase 2 - Library content can be sequenced; more complex (and/or new?) sequence types

  3. Phase 3 - Competency frameworks/rubrics can be aligned

**Note: Phase 2 will require specs for defining enrollment and completion criteria for content in libraries. Will require significant discovery. 

Open question - is there a way to start delivering value from phase 3 earlier and more incrementally?

A discovery experience for learners to search for and enroll in sequences

Alignment from proposals:

  • Edly has proposed a discovery interface that will allow learners to browse all courses and all sequences in a unified display.

  • OC has proposed a similar discovery interface. They also propose a deeper integration of the discovery experience with the Learner Dashboard, so learners can see all the courses and sequences they are enrolled in + the courses and sequences they might be able to enroll in. 

Examples of general requirements (not exhaustive):

  • Searching for courses and searching for sequences must be a unified experience for the learner

  • One-click enroll in sequences

  • Filter for courses and sequences

  • Easy views of all the content within a sequence

  • Easy views of completion criteria

Possible phasing:

  1. Would need to be built/released at the same time as the sequencing MVP

 

A progress tracker so learners can track their progress through a sequence

Alignment from proposals:

  • OC has proposed a simple progress indicator that shows learners which courses in a sequence they have completed and which they have not yet completed, viewable from the Learner Dashboard

  • Unicon has proposed a robust progress tracker that lets learners see which competency pathway they are in, how much is left to complete, and what their progress is toward mastery of that competency

Examples of general requirements (not exhaustive):

  • At first glance, learners can easily see where they are in the sequence, what they have already accomplished, what they still need to accomplish

  • Learners can easily see the end-goal they are working toward

Possible phasing:

  1. MVP - To align with the MVP of the course—>program sequencing, the MVP of the tracker would let learners track progress through a program

  2. Phase 2 - TBD, would need to align with how the subsequent phases of the content sequencing tool evolve

Open Questions:

  1. Are there more incremental ways we can deliver on the competency-based milestone or is it blocked on the prior two phases?

  2. What role does Learning Core play in all this? 

  3. How does this change how we think about sequencing within courses? Does it?

  4. Open questions around implementation of the catalog - see below

Implementation Details:

There is some divergence in implementation approaches to the catalog:

  1. Edly has proposed building a catalog plugin that integrates with edx-platform, which includes a sequencing tool on the Studio side and a discovery tool on the learner side 

  2. Schema has proposed a catalog as a standalone service, designed around a set of core functionality for metadata capture, publishing catalog objects, handling bundles, rendering enrollment pages. Product features such as the sequencing tool would be built on top, either as core or plugins. 

  3. Edunext has proposed a catalog as a set of primitive APIs, on top of which all product features would be developed as plugins

Proposals Index: