The university wanted these XBlocks to serve a dual purpose: support internal experimentation in online pedagogy and contribute them upstream for the wider community. We delivered 10 new XBlocks, including:
Each XBlock went through full-cycle development - including discovery, UX/UI design, implementation, and documentation - and was thoughtfully engineered to integrate seamlessly with the Open edX® platform. Many feature staff-facing authoring tools, AI integrations, and novel interaction models to boost learner engagement.
Gives students the option to have course content read out loud to them.
Allows course staff to create flashcard activities for students to use as a learning tool. Up to 8 cards can be shown on the screen at once. Features include text or images on both sides, flip animation, and optional sound effects.
Gives course staff the ability to add dates and events to a timeline. Students can zoom in and out of the timeline, move backwards/forwards in time, and select individual entries to see more detail.
Gives students a space to write and run basic coding scripts with AI-powered feedback. The XBlock sends the code to an LLM, which reviews the code and offers improvement suggestions.
Allows students to write short text entries and receive AI-driven feedback. The XBlock sends the response to an LLM, which reviews the submission and provides improvement suggestions based on a prompt from the course author.
Allows course staff to select multiple problems and have them display to the student one at a time in a single window, with an option for students to reset and start again with a new set of randomized problems.
Gives course staff the ability to add accordions to a Unit, allowing students to open and close multiple sections of text, images, or links as they choose.
Allows course staff to embed multi-page documents in a Unit. Documents include PDFs, MS Office files (Excel, Word, Powerpoint), Google files (Docs, Sheets, Slides), and Mac files (Pages, Numbers, Keynote).
Allows course staff to embed podcasts and their transcripts from third-party sources in a Unit.
This project is a prime example of OpenCraft’s long-standing commitment to improving Open edX® - not just for a single client, but for the entire community.
From building some of the first-ever XBlocks to developing cornerstone tools like Blockstore and now learning-core, our contributions are rooted in deep platform knowledge and a passion for open collaboration. Many of the tools we’ve created - like Accredible XBlock, Active Table, and Kinescope Video - have become valuable additions for the wider ecosystem.
In this project, we took that same approach: solving a client’s complex needs in a way that benefits everyone. The new XBlocks created here weren’t just fast solutions - they were thoughtfully designed, fully open, and built to be scalable, accessible, and reusable.
It’s work like this that allows OpenCraft to close critical feature gaps in the Open edX® platform, while advancing the mission of open, high-quality online education.
* XBlocks are modular components in Open edX® that enhance interactivity and engagement in online courses, offering unparalleled customization options, allowing for interactive quizzes, discussions, and simulations.
