While a few of these were limited to chronological reading lists and discussion topics, a majority provided homework problems and exams (often with solutions) and lecture notes.

Some courses also included interactive web demonstrations in Java, complete textbooks written by MIT professors, and streaming video lectures.

The main challenge in implementing the MIT OCW initiative had not been faculty resistance, but rather, the logistical challenges presented by determining ownership and obtaining publication permission for the massive amount of copyrighted items that are embedded in the course materials of MIT's faculty, in addition to the time and technical effort required to convert the educational materials to an online format.

[7] In September 2002, the MIT OpenCourseWare proof-of-concept pilot site opened to the public, offering 32 courses.

In 2011, MIT OpenCourseWare introduced the first of fifteen OCW Scholar courses, which are designed specifically for the needs of independent learners.

As of 2020, the platform reported an increase in global engagement, with materials accessed by over 500 million learners worldwide since its inception.

[13] OCW video and audio files are also provided in full for offline downloads on iTunesU and the Internet Archive.