Ediphy: A modular and extensible open-source web authoring tool for the creation of interactive learning resources

Abstract

Nowadays, the use of authoring tools has become the most popular way in which teachers create learning resources. These tools commonly facilitate the creation of educational content by combining text, self-assessed activities, and multimedia resources, often allowing authors to export the result in a standard format. Although there are many tools available, it is difficult to find a tool that meets the needs of all users. In order to fulfill the requirements of specific learning scenarios, one possible solution is to adapt an existing e-Learning authoring tool. However, to do so in an easy way, authoring tools should be built on the principles of modular architecture to facilitate and encourage developers to contribute, which is often not the case. This article presents Ediphy, a modular and extensible open-source web authoring tool for the creation of interactive educational content. Its modular nature, based on plugins, makes it easy to extend the tool with new functionalities to meet the requirements of specific educational settings. In order to evaluate Ediphy, two surveys have been conducted: one among end users who have used Ediphy to create learning resources and another one among developers who have contributed to its improvement. Results show that end users have a great opinion of Ediphy and developers find it easy to contribute.