moodle

When you’re working online and you access a text heavy web-page that scrolls for 5 pages, what is your initial reaction? To most of us, a text-heavy page filled with a long list of resources and activities is not inviting or enticing. The same is true for students and online courses. But with a little sleight of hand, plus use of the right resource formats and labels, you can design an aesthetically pleasing online course and avoid the long scrolling webpage syndrome. » Read more

Moodle is the popular open source Learning Management System (LMS) that has taken the training market by storm in recent years. The Elearning Guild LMS Survey in 2010 showed that of the top 3 LMS applications (Moodle, Blackboard and TotalLMS), Moodle had the highest satisfaction ratings for ease of installation, cost, reporting capabilities, time to implement, living up to vendor promises and assessment capabilities.

However, in evaluating Moodle the newcomer could easily become confused by a proliferation of releases: Moodle 1.9 or Moodle 2,  various distributions such as Totara and Joule, and packages called Moodle Flavours which comprise standard Moodle with the author's favourite plug-ins. So where do you start if you’re considering a Moodle implementation? If you’re not sure whether to use Standard Moodle, a Moodle Distribution or a Moodle Flavour, then this article is for you » Read more

The software market has changed. Government entities and the corporate market are now embracing open source software like never before, primarily for its twin attributes of cost-effectiveness and flexibility. IT departments are more educated on the risks and benefits, and now routinely use open source applications within large, mission-critical systems. In parallel, an innovative marketplace has emerged, delivering a range of services such as implementation, maintenance and customisation of open source software. Forward thinking governments have developed policy positions to encourage departments to harness the benefits of an increasing pool of mature enterprise-level open source software. » Read more

As an educator, trained Linux systems administrator, and technology director for a K-12 school district, I have been actively involved with NYSCATE (The New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education), a non-profit organization that works to lead the transformation of teaching and learning through technology. It’s been 20 years since I attended my first NYSCATE conference, and the conference’s open source presence has taken many different forms.  » Read more

These are exciting times for those who use Learning Management Systems (LMS), applications that help teachers (and students) get a handle on their course materials, grading, and assignments.

Currently there are150+ different LMS companies and projects available. And as with any product on its way toward commoditization, someone's disrupting the industry. » Read more

"Free," "open" and "libre" software has been a buzzword in media and technology spheres alike. A lot of heat surrounds its implementation, especially in developing countries. While there is much confusion concerning how open source can be used to leverage the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICT) and its impact on the areas of implementation, there is one definite sector where open source can be guaranteed to produce magnificent results when properly used. » Read more

2010 has definitely flown by and if you are anything like me, I can barely remember what happened last week much less over the past year. But, we have had a big year in the Education Channel. To jog your memory I’ve put together some highlights.

Based on views, the most popular articles were (drum-rolls welcome): » Read more

Recently Blackboard, the learning management system (LMS) company, announced its plans to seek new business using one of the open source way's most attractive tools to educators: offering their services for free (as-in-no-cost).

Meanwhile, Moodle, the free and open source software LMS, is working to maximize community resources and sharing in its next release (see the Moodle 2.0 release preview).   » Read more

Before heading out to film this story on the Open High School of Utah, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had a lot of the same questions most people would have about an online high school: What kind of students go to high school online? How are teachers building their curriculum from open educational resources and what does it look like? How are the students interacting with their teachers and other students in an online venue? » Read more

Those who've been waiting for the release of Moodle 2.0 are getting their open source just rewards this week.  The release, which has been met already with several delays, is a "beta preview" -- which is to say, not yet a stable release, but a functional template of what's in store for early adopters (note that Moodle HQ will be releasing weekly updates as the code matures as a series of beta previews leading up to the stable release¹).   » Read more