What is MyOpenMath?

MyOpenMath is an online course management and assessment system for mathematics and other quantitative fields. MyOpenMath’s focus is providing rich algorithmically generated assessment to support the use of free, open textbooks like the ones listed on OpenTextBookStore.com.

MyOpenMath is a collaborative community of users. MyOpenMath.com provides managed hosting of the open source IMathAS online assessment software. Questions and pre-built courses are all created by faculty in the user community and shared with others in the spirit of openness. Experienced users provide peer-to-peer support through discussion forums.

MyOpenMath.com is operated by the non-profit organization MyOpenMath.

Sponsors

MyOpenMath.com is supported in part by financial and in-kind contributions from corporate sponsors.

XYZ Homework

XYZ Homework is an IMathAS compatible online homework system. They are an OpenStax Ally providing custom templates and coding for their math titles. XYZ Homework specializes in customization including printable eBooks and additional ancillaries based on OpenStax and other OER materials. They are also the online homework partner for XYZ Textbooks.

Lumen Learning

Lumen Learning provides supported tools using OER, including Waymaker, an adaptive learning platform, and OHM, an online math homework site.

Contributing to MyOpenMath

MyOpenMath's operations are supported through our sponsors above, and through donations from users. There are ways to contribute directly, and indirectly through affiliate programs, where MyOpenMath gets a cut when you shop through a partner website.

  • ShopRaise: Install their app or browser extension to support MyOpenMath when shopping at a variety of stores.
  • Amazon: Click this link before shopping.
  • Viator: Click this link before booking an experience.
  • Booking: Click this link before booking a hotel.
  • Donate directly: Use this to donate cash via Paypal. MyOpenMath is a 501(c)(3), so donations are tax deductible.

Pricing

MyOpenMath operates as a non-profit. We have many wonderful volunteers who help run and maintain the site. For now, our operating expenses are covered through sponsorship and donations.

Our core mission is to support the use of free or low cost online homework to save students money. Students will never be directly charged for access. Teachers and schools will never be required to pay for standard use of MyOpenMath. In particular, we encourage teachers and schools to use MyOpenMath for free, at any scale, to see whether it will meet their needs.

In the future, we may encourage schools for whom MyOpenMath has become a standardized and scaled part of the curriculum to contribute to ensuring the sustainability of our operations. But this program has not rolled out yet, and the option to use MyOpenMath for free will always remain.

MyOpenMath follows the data protection policies set out in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, regardless of whether a school is a contributing or not. We will never sell your personal data.

Support

Community-based support is available through active, open support forums and training videos. MyOpenMath does not provide direct support for instructors or students.

If you are in need of more comprehensive support services beyond what is available on MyOpenMath, then you should consider using a commercial homework system. There are a number of homework sites that provide homework for open textbooks with support services. Some of these sites are MyOpenMath compatible, meaning most courses on MyOpenMath can be moved to that platform. This listing is not an endorsement of any of these systems.

Our History

MyOpenMath was born out of free, open source software developed by David Lippman, a community college math professor in Washington State, starting in 2005. With a little grant support and a lot of his free time, David ran a state-wide installation of that software at wamap.org. Faculty from around the state got involved, and collaboratively contributed much of the question content now found on MyOpenMath. Out of the Open Course Library project in Washington, several complete courses based on open textbooks were created. Other folks got involved, including James Sousa from Phoenix College who contributed a huge collection of questions tied to his video examples.

In 2011 David started MyOpenMath as a way to share with the world this software system and all the great content that had been built around open textbooks. He self-funded the site for the first year, then joined forces with Lumen Learning, which had been using MyOpenMath with the Kaleidoscope Project. In 2017, Lumen split off their own version of MyOpenMath, called Lumen OHM, to help differentiate their supported service from the free, community MyOpenMath site.

In 2018, the non-profit organization MyOpenMath was formed to be the official entity operating MyOpenMath. MyOpenMath continues to lead the development of IMathAS.

Credits

Operations of MyOpenMath is facilitated by a number of volunteers:

  • Cindy Moss
  • Jessica Kuang
  • James Sousa
  • Jim Smart
  • Patrick Carmichael
  • Roy Shahbazian
  • William Meacham
  • Everyone who participates in the Support Course forums assisting their fellow users

The question and course content on MyOpenMath has been created and contributed by faculty from around the country. They include courses created for the the Washington State Open Course Library project and the California ZTC Degree grant.

The development of the IMathAS platform that powers MyOpenMath has been supported by several grant projects, sponsors, and community contributors, including:

The MyOpenMath non-profit board of directors:

  • David Lippman
  • William Meacham
  • Robert Camner
  • Melonie Rasmussen
  • Roy Shahbazian
  • Michael Jenck
  • Nick Chura