edX announced today that Microsoft will design and deliver MOOCs on the edX platform, starting at the end of the month. The following are the initial courses that will be offered:

• Programming with C#
• Introduction to TypeScript (co-taught by Microsoft fellow Anders Hejlsberg)
• Introduction to Bootstrap
• Querying with Transact SQL
• Building Cloud Apps with Microsoft Azure
• Introduction to Office 365 APIs
• Windows PowerShell Fundamentals

Although Microsoft provides training content through various channels, these courses will be free and will follow the typical MOOC format for technical training: video explanations, coding exercises, and assessments. This represents a strong move by Microsoft to support its developer ecosystem in the areas of mobile and cloud computing, which are seeing an explosion in growth, and which also offer compelling non-Microsoft technologies.

Steve Guggenheimer, Corporate Vice President & Chief Evangelist, Developer Experience at Microsoft has this to say about the announcement:

“Microsoft has a long history of working within the community to make coding and app development more accessible and rewarding to the growing number of people …together with edX we can provide new opportunities for students and developers from around the world to create innovative applications, services, and experiences that have a meaningful impact on today’s mobile and cloud centric world.”

These courses start later this month, and you can sign up now. They are taught by Microsoft employees, and you can take them for free or pay a small fee for a verified certificate.