OpenLearnity, high-quality online courses made accessible
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The platform run by the Swiss MOOC Service association—founded by EPFL and EPFZ—has adopted a new name and broadened its ambitions. It now offers more than 150 courses from leading academic institutions, most of them free, aimed at both specialists and the general public.
Online training has exploded, and in this crowded landscape, finding a reliable learning path is not always straightforward. Learners need courses with solid content, trustworthy sources, and a reasonable investment of time and money. EPFL and EPFZ, the founders of the Swiss MOOC Service, decided to give their platform new momentum under a new name: OpenLearnity. “As a university, we have the privilege of creating online courses for our students, but these courses are equally useful for many other audiences. I’ve taken a lot of online courses myself. For me, it’s like watching a documentary—only interactive, and you actually learn something. I think it’s fantastic,” says Annechien Helsdingen, project manager at EPFL’s Center for Digital Education (CEDE) and the school’s lead for the platform.
Free access and data security
OpenLearnity currently offers 155 MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses), including 101 created by EPFL, one of the early pioneers in this field. Most of these courses are free, taught mainly in English and French, and span a wide range of subjects—from computer science to environmental science, education, and health. “What really sets us apart from other platforms is that OpenLearnity is managed by an association of universities, and we allow members who wish to do so to distribute their content for free,” explains Patrick Jermann, director of CEDE and chair of the OpenLearnity board. “Providing high-quality teaching material is crucial. With recent developments in AI, access to primary sources is often bypassed by chatbots. Another strength is that our entire infrastructure is hosted in Switzerland. Our partners can guarantee that their learners’ personal data is handled securely.”
Thirteen institutions—universities, universities of applied sciences, and nonprofit organizations—currently publish content on the platform targeting a range of audiences. First comes the student community, which uses MOOC for flipped-classroom formats or through content such as Apprendre à étudier en sciences et ingénierie. “We teach strategies shown to be effective by research. For example, several studies indicate that active recall—trying to remember the material—is far more effective than highlighting or re-reading for revision”, explains Cécile Hardebolle, teaching advisor at CEDE and co-author of the course with Roland Tormey, head of EPFL’s Teaching Support Center (CAPE).
Providing high-quality teaching material is crucial. With recent developments in AI, access to primary sources is often bypassed by chatbots. Another strength is that our entire infrastructure is hosted in Switzerland. Our partners can guarantee that their learners’ personal data is handled securely.
Other courses target professionals seeking to strengthen or expand their expertise. Offerings such as “Circular economy: an interdisciplinary approach,” “Launching new ventures,” or “Implicit bias awareness- fundamentals” are designed for a broad audience.
Specialists also find advanced material tailored to their needs. “This is the third year we offer our course on Standardised Assessment and Reporting of Functioning Information, using the International Classification of Functioning, disability and health (ICF), a World Health Organization classification. We typically have 80 to 100 participants per session - including healthcare professionals, researchers, students as well as government officials - and feedback is excellent,” says Roxanne Maritz, coordinator at the Center for Rehabilitation in Global Health Systems at the University of Lucerne.
As a university, we have the privilege of creating online courses for our students, but these courses are equally useful for many other audiences. I’ve taken a lot of online courses myself. For me, it’s like watching a documentary—only interactive, and you actually learn something. I think it’s fantastic.
What comes next
At EPFL alone, the available MOOC have already attracted around 22,000 learners. The school now aims to use AI to make the content even more interactive, including AI tutors capable of answering learner questions. “Because many people follow MOOC only partially—on average, 30% complete them—we’re exploring more modular approaches. AI could, for example, help learners assess their level and needs, then recommend tailored modules for more personalized learning,” notes Annechien Helsdingen. The goal is to offer an even clearer and more efficiently structured learning pathway.