What you need for this book

XBlock is the SDK for the edX MOOC platform, which is written primarily in Python 2. It is a component architecture that enables developers to create independent course components—XBlocks—that will work seamlessly with other components in an online course. Course authors can combine XBlocks from various sources, including text, video, Wikis, and online laboratories.

You can access the edX open source platform technology along with platform developments from Stanford, Harvard, MIT, edX, and other contributors at openedx.org. If you plan to run Open edX, you will be pleased to know that there are hosting providers, or you can install and run the software on your own server. However, edX does not provide direct support for independent installations. If you are a developer who wants to get involved with edX, you can find its technical details at openedx.org, including documentation, source code repositories, mailing lists, and IRC channels.