Name: MIT OpenCourseWare To Go: Extending Open Knowledge to Mobile Learners Globally
Start: 2026-10-09T16:15:00-0400
End: 2026-10-09T16:30:00-0400

All sessions are available online except round tables, special activities, and workshops.

MIT OpenCourseWare To Go: Extending Open Knowledge to Mobile Learners Globally

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 33950

MIT OpenCourseWare To Go (https://ocwtogo.mit.edu/) reflects MIT’s long-standing commitment to upholding knowledge as a public good by expanding access to free, open educational resources for learners everywhere—especially those with limited or intermittent connectivity. OCW To Go enables learners to download curated MIT OpenCourseWare courses to mobile devices for offline use, including videos, making open learning portable and inclusive. As open education continues to expand globally, ensuring that knowledge is not limited by infrastructure remains a critical challenge. This session shows how open, offline‑capable technologies can help uphold knowledge as a public good, particularly for learners in mobile‑first and low‑connectivity contexts.For more than twenty-five years, MIT OpenCourseWare has embodied a vision of unlocking knowledge for the benefit of all. Since its launch in 2001, OCW has grown to reach over 500 million learners globally. Yet achieving the vision of anytime, anywhere learning has often depended on reliable Internet access, sufficient bandwidth, and a computer whether a laptop or desktop. The growing use of mobile devices to access OCW, 30% on average with some countries exceeding 50% mobile use, led the team to explore how to better serve these users. OCW To Go overcomes prior constraints by bringing the OCW experience into a learner’s pocket without Internet connectivity.OCW To Go addresses long-standing technical barriers posed by mobile operating systems, which traditionally prevent full websites from being stored and viewed locally. Learners browse a curated list of courses, select a course to download including optional videos and view them in a web browser on their mobile device while offline. The result is a soon-to-be open source, progressive web app that functions as a self-contained local web server on a learner’s device. Course materials are stored in the browser’s local storage and accessed offline, with video downloads available based on learner selection to respect bandwidth and storage limitations.OCW To Go empowers learners to engage with open education on their own terms—wherever they are and whenever they want. As a work in progress, OCW To Go invites collaboration, feedback, and shared invention from the global open education community as we collectively advance open practices and safeguard access to knowledge for the benefit of all.

Speakers

Curt Newton

Director, MIT OpenCourseWare, MIT Open Learning

Curt Newton leads MIT OpenCourseWare in supporting millions of global learners and educators every year with freely shared materials from over 2,500 MIT courses. He joined OpenCourseWare in 2004, shortly after its launch, captivated by the promise of open education, and worked as... Read More →

Brandon Muramatsu

Hardi Vajir

MBA Candidate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Hardi Vanir is a product leader passionate about building technology at the intersection of AI and social impact. At MIT Sloan, I am conducting AI research on communication and empathy, leading mentorship initiatives as VP of Sloan Women in Management, and pursuing a certificate in... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

Tickets

Success you have shared X tickets.

OEGlobal 2026

Curt Newton

Brandon Muramatsu

Hardi Vajir

Get help with the event

Success you have shared X tickets.

OEGlobal 2026

Curt Newton

Brandon Muramatsu

Hardi Vajir

Sign up or log in to save this to your schedule, view media, leave feedback and see who's attending!

Get help with the event