3.1. Options for Extending the edX Platform#
There are several options for extending the Open edX Platform to provide useful and innovative educational content in your courses.
This section of the developers’ documentation lists and explains the different ways to extend the platform, starting with the following table.
Custom |
LTI |
External |
XBlocks |
Platform |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Development Cost |
Low |
Low |
Medium |
Medium |
High |
Language |
JavaScript |
Any |
Any |
Python |
Python |
Development Environment Needed |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Self-hosting Needed |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Need edX Involvement |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Clean UI Integration |
Yes |
No (see LTI) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Mobile enabled |
Possibly |
Possibly |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Server Side Grading |
Possibly (See JavaScript) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Usage Data |
No (See JavaScript) |
No |
Limited |
Yes |
Yes |
Provision in Studio |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
Privacy Loss Compared to Hosting Open edX |
No |
Possibly |
Possibly |
No |
No |