BOJAN FAZLAGIC

The "long" weekend just passed, in occasion of All Saints festivities, was for many of us a first moment of rest following the resume of work activities after the summer holidays. Not a few will have chosen to spend these days "out of town" and disconnect from their daily activities, as well as many others, forced even by bad weather, would have taken advantage of it to try to recover or catch up with various tasks left behind. This was also the case for the EduOpen team, who took advantage of this opportunity to reflect on what has been for now 2019 and on the future steps that await us. 

Judging by the numbers, and the data in our possession, the bad weather seems to have got the better of many of you / us. It is in fact just during the weekend that we recorded a significant increase in activities on the portal and new registrations exceeding the significant figure of 60,000 users. At first glance, it could also be a not particularly relevant number if compared with the "figures" of today's network, or if you want to look for a numerical comparison with the "great" pioneers of online education Anglo-Saxon, but remaining in the national context having reached and exceeded 60,000 enrolled would put in any Censis ranking of Italian universities EduOpen as a Mega University (more than 40,000 students). But more than focusing on possible numerical comparisons, this figure is even more important if we take into account where, when, and how this project began, developed and consolidated over time. 

Three and a half years have passed since the launch of the platform (April 21, 2016), with an average of almost 1500 registered users per month. The number of member institutions has risen to 24, and the number of certificates issued is rapidly reaching 40,000. These numbers, however, have not given us the head, purpose and philosophy of the project, which is part of the Open and Digital Education movement, has not changed direction nor has it weakened, indeed, the last 24 months have seen important additions and innovations such as the activation of the first 3 EduOpen MASTER, the fundamental increase in Web Accessibility (Blackboard ALLY), the birth of the EduOpen Community, the launch of Courseware, the opening of a dialogue about the definition of Microcredentials and many other innovations in the daily experience of using the platform.

However, one of the greatest achievements is difficult to publicize as it consists of the multitude of messages of appreciation of the project and the courses we receive almost daily, as well as the awareness of having helped to create a national reference point for quality training open to all. In this regard, we should also thank all the teachers (instructors), tutors and staff of the various universities and institutions belonging to the EduOpen network who put a lot of effort in the implementation of the courses and in following the evolution of the platform.

Aware that we still have a lot to improve from many points of view, the future of EduOpen remains particularly rich in prospects and growth with many projects and important collaborations in place. Don't worry, we'll keep you informed!

For the moment, let's celebrate the remarkable milestone!  🎉🎉🎉 60,000 REGISTERED USERS!