Transforming Open edX into the next On-Campus LMS: Results of the UniDigital Project

Open edX is an open-source platform known for delivering MOOCs and SPOCs to huge numbers of students, but its current features lack the detailed management required for individual student management in on-campus courses. This paper presents the results of an initiative by six public universities in the region of Madrid and the Universitat Politècnica de València, as part of a national project called UniDigital. Funded by Spain’s Ministry of Universities and the EU’s Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, this project, led by UC3M, UPV, and UAM, has invested over half a million euros to enhance Open edX for on-campus use.After partnering with Edunext, one of Open edX's top-tier partners, the project involved close collaboration with the Open edX community to integrate these enhancements into future platform versions. Key improvements include real-time analytics, advanced dashboards, customized feedback systems, enhanced exams and tasks, extended grading options, improved user interfaces for students and teachers, expanded email functionalities, revamped file management, H5P content integration, mind map tools, a student risk detection system, and the development of advanced voice assistants and a gamification extension for mobile apps. These enhancements aim to transform Open edX from a MOOC platform into a sophisticated on-campus Learning Management System (LMS), suitable for both online and campus-based education.We will discuss the initial goals and the real accomplishments, highlighting the complexities of negotiating with an open-source community with diverse interests and varying timeframes, adding layers of complexity to ensuring that developments are incorporated into the main source code.