The platform went live in early February 2026, and is currently undergoing seeding with faculty.
Overview
WPI Open Learning is a platform that enables Worcester Polytechnic Institute faculty to easily publish and license course syllabi using the Canvas LMS, the most widely used LMS in higher education. The platform bridges the gap between institutional learning management systems and open educational resources, making important course information accessible to all.
I began development of this project in August 2024, as part of my Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) at WPI. Development continued well past the completion of the IQP, and the university plans to adopt the platform for faculty in the 2025-2026 academic year.
The website will soon be available to the public at openlearning.wpi.edu.
Here are some screenshots of the website:
Features
- Canvas Integration: Seamlessly exports course content from Canvas LMS
- Faculty Control: Instructors can create unique pages for their courses
- License Management: Instructors can choose a Creative Commons license for their course
- Auditing: Administrators can audit course content for compliance and accrediation purposes
The website is deployed on a WPI Linux VM using Apache. It it built entirely in Next.js without a backend (Next.js API routes and server actions handle dynamic content).
Paper
As part of the IQP, my teammates and I wrote a paper about the project. We cover the importance of the project, including a clear need for the platform from faculty and student surveys. We also discuss the technical details of the platform, including the integration with Canvas. You can read it here.