They adopt courses from the catalog
Creating Effective,
Affordable Courseware for
Student Success at Scale
What Is CourseWorks?
01.
A Collaborative
Mission
A nonprofit courseware alliance led by CMU’s Open Learning Initiative and ASU’s ETX Center, working with partner institutions to expand access to high-impact digital learning resources at a low cost.
02.
Wide-Reaching
Impact
A catalog of more than 80 courses used by more than 150 institutions, serving over 85,000 students annually.
03.
Our Own Open-Source Platform
Built on Torus, an open-source, research-grade learning platform designed for adaptive, simulation-based, and evidence-based course experiences.
What Makes CourseWorks Different?
Evidence-Based Design for Student Success
Courses are grounded in learning-science research and iteratively improved over time with community input and student data.
Open-Source Technology and Non-Profit Model
CourseWorks runs on the open-source Torus platform, leveraging a cooperative business model that reinvests revenue into courseware iteration and the education community using our products.
Putting Students and Faculty First
CourseWorks collaborates with other academic institutions to share content, research, and infrastructure to build a thriving community, as opposed to selling proprietary content that prioritizes the needs of investors over students and faculty.
Sustainable Courseware Designed for Long-Term Academic Use
CourseWorks is a nonprofit academic network that develops and sustains shared higher-education courseware. Through a cooperative structure, institutions work together to build, govern, and continuously improve courses designed for real instructional settings.
The catalog is supported by Torus—the platform built by the alliance to deliver, update, and sustain those courses across institutions while also enabling research on teaching, learning, and student outcomes.
Because the organization owns both the curriculum and the technology behind it, course revisions, platform improvements, and research insights inform one another within a single system. This alignment supports predictable costs, coordinated academic governance, and long-term continuity across the catalog.
The Infrastructure That Sustains the Catalog
The Torus platform was built in response to breakdowns in the commercial courseware market—where proprietary platforms restricted access and research was separated from, or missing entirely in, the delivery model. As an open-source, production-grade platform, Torus connects authoring, adaptive learning, and research within a single system, enabling continuous improvement while preserving institutional control.
The CourseWorks Catalog
Though developed by faculty across participating institutions, disciplines, and levels, all courses are delivered through Torus, where research findings translate directly into coordinated content and platform updates, driving measurable improvements.
OLI - CMU
Composites
STEM / Sciences
Description
Learn about composites fabrication, assembly, repair, CNC machining, and composite manufacturing. Students are prepared for entry-level positions in aviation, marine, recreation, green energy, and manufacturing.
Table of Contents
- Module 1: Advanced Composites Fabrication and Assembly
- Module 2: Applied Math
- Module 4: CNC Machining
- Module 5: Drawings and Prints
- Module 6: Injection Molding
- Module 7: Introduction to Composites
- Module 8: Machine Tool Theory
- Module 9: Semi Precision and Precision Measurement
OLI - CMU
Computational Discrete Mathematics
STEM / Sciences
Description
A course in computational discrete mathematics.
OLI - CMU
Computer Science I with Java (CSUSM)
STEM / Sciences
Description
An interactive first course in Java programming covering variables, data types, control flow, arrays, and the program development process.
Table of Contents
- Module 1: Introduction to Programming with Java
- Module 2: Writing Simple Programs
- Module 3: Iteration
- Module 4: Making Decisions
- Module 5: Putting Iterations and Decisions Together
- Module 6: Testing and Debugging Your Program
Why This Approach Makes a Difference
Built for Stability, Protected from Volatility
The cooperative structure removes renewal cycles and platform migrations. Institutions avoid pricing resets, product sunsets, and forced rebuilds—keeping costs stable and access continuous.
Built on Research, Strengthened Through It
Research does not require separate platforms, local builds, or isolated pilots. The catalog operates within a structure that supports coordinated, cross-institution study from the outset.
Built Within Higher Ed, Directed by Its Leadership
When course development resides within the alliance, institutions retain authority over direction and revision. The catalog reflects academic judgment rather than market positioning.
The CourseWorks Ecosystem
Institutions engage with CourseWorks in three primary ways:
The ecosystem integrates use, contribution, and oversight within a single model rather than separating them into vendor and client roles.
Founding Institutions
Pathways to Engage with CourseWorks
Adopt Courses from the Catalog
Adoption establishes your institution within the CourseWorks model, offering an entry point into the ecosystem without requiring contribution or research participation.
Collaborate in Course Development
Design new courses and refine existing ones. Faculty contribute disciplinary expertise within the cooperative structure, shaping the direction of the shared catalog.
Conduct Research Within the Platform
Advance the science of learning by participating in advanced research. Studies conducted within the platform contribute to peer-reviewed scholarship and shared evidence.
Our Communities
Faculty Who Shape the Classroom
Faculty teaching foundational and high-enrollment courses who are looking for courseware grounded in learning science and proven in real academic settings. CourseWorks supports their instruction with materials designed to improve clarity, engagement, and student outcomes.
Institutional Problem-Solvers
Campus leaders responsible for identifying effective, affordable solutions to strengthen foundational courses and improve student outcomes. We serve technologists, librarians, teaching and learning centers, and department chairs who evaluate course options, support faculty adoption, and align instructional tools with broader institutional priorities.
Review the Course Portfolio and Start a Conversation
When courseware decisions carry long-term academic and financial implications, structure matters. Let’s explore whether a nonprofit, university-led alliance aligns with your institutional strategy.
