Full name
Ignacio (Nacho) Despujol Zabala
Picture
Title (1-5 words)
Let’s make Open edX the reference LMS for any use
Goals summary for the 2025 term (<40 words)
I want to help make Open edX the best LMS choice for any use, being the voice of users in Open edX’s governance, as I have been in previous terms.
Details
I think that Open edX is the best LMS for massive online learning, but it is still very cumbersome to install and manage and still has a lot to improve as an on-campus LMS.
I have been bringing the user’s point of view as the administrator of big and small instances, that has also led a big development project, and as instructor of more than 20 MOOCs, to help with this improvement, and I think that it is worth having a non developer point of view in the TOC.
I also want to contribute to the consolidation of Open edX as a completely open and diverse open source project with a vibrant community.
Relevant experience
I am the MOOC initiative coordinator of Universitat Politècnica de València. We are members of edx.org with more than 150 moocs and 5 million enrollments and also have a local instance of Open edX for more local courses and first runs of the Edx courses, which we have been using since we started 2014. With it we have done several experiments, creating Xblocks and other developments that we have presented in several Open edX conferences (though we have not contributed them to the core). I have also created and run more than 20 different MOOCs myself.
I served as a TOC community member for the initial term, where I participated in the strategy-setting meetings held during that year, and in the development of the election process for TOC community members. I have also been a member of the TOC in the last term, were I have advocated for the integration of AI and the simplification of the installation and management processes. I hope I can continue working as a member of the TOC and make fruitful contributions.
I also lead an initiative with several universities from Spain to expand Open edX with 500,000 euros of European Union funding, which has funded several Open edX improvements, including a significant part of the Aspects development.
Time commitment
I plan to dedicate 5 hours per month to TOC activities, but I am open to dedicating more if needed.
Specialities
I fit in any of the three categories, as I am in charge of the operation of a big MOOC initiative and a platform, I am the instructor in more than 20 MOOCs and I have followed many MOOCs, having the certificates of more than 35 of them and a micromaster.