Welcome Open Source VLEs: The Next Generation Eddie Gulc Senior Adviser The Higher Education Academy

1
Welcome Open Source VLEs The Next
Generation Eddie GulcSenior Adviser The
Higher Education AcademyUniversity of
Cambridge29 June 2006
2
Open Source VLEs Why are we here?

• Some Drivers
• Institutional engagement with VLEs receives lots
  of attention
• However, use within/across institutions has been
  quiet patchy
• Cost-effectiveness of VLEs increasingly important
• VLE as a substitute for an e-learning strategy
  Prof Terry Mayes

3
Open Source VLEs Why are we here?

• Open Source Solutions?
• Can OS products deliver what institutions demand
  more cost effectively and more efficiently?
• Can OS products help the design of teaching
  learning better suited to the specific
  requirements of
• individual institutions
• their tutors and most importantly
• their learners?

4
Open Source VLEs Why are we here?
"The Open University has always been a leader in
developing technology for e-learning, and this
new student-centred technology is the next
logical step. The OU has the top student
satisfaction rating in the National Student
Satisfaction Survey in England, Wales and
Northern Ireland, and this new student
environment we're creating will only help to
ensure that people who learn with the OU continue
to receive an exemplary educational experience."
Dr Paul Clark, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Learning
and Teaching, 8 November 2005
5
Open Source VLEs Why are we here?
Institutional teaching and learning strategies
have been written, MLE/VLE investments have
already been made, integration with information
and records systems has occurred, contracts have
been signed, training programmes are designed,
faculty and students have already been 'trained',
content is already being 'locked-in', reputations
are at stake and everyone has got used to one
system.
Derek Morrison, ALT-C 2004
6
Open Source VLEs Why are we here?
for many at the coalface e-learning has
become their VLE vendors product and from a
central support services perspective the less
diversity to support the better.
Derek Morrison, ALT-C 2004
7
Ubiquitous Personalisation Disruptive
Technology?

• We are seeing more examples of technology
  enhanced personalisation in everyday life
• Social technology
• e.g. Wikis, Blogging, Podcasting/Vidcasting,
  Flickr
• User Created Content in computer games/
  simulations
• SIM, SPORE
• Mashup videos
• Lets look at an example

8
www.youtube.com
9
And its happening in education too .
.. but I wont steal other peoples thunder )
10
Open Source VLEs Why are we here?

• Purpose of the day
• To help share information about open source (OS)
  platforms and tools
• To enable us to get some hands-on experience of
  using OS platforms and tools
• To give us a chance to understand that we can all
  be part of the OS development process and can
  contribute to further developments
• To offer us an opportunity to explore some of the
  pedagogical issues of using such software

11
The Programme

• 1030 - Welcome - Eddie Gulc, The Higher
  Education Academy
• 1045 - Keynote 1 - Open Source Software and the
  VLE - Randy Metcalfe, JISC OSS Watch
• 1115 - Keynote 2 - Personal Learning
  Environments Shifting the Locus of Control -
  Oleg Liber, CETIS
• 1145 - Coffee/Tea
• 1200 - Presentations from three OS learning
  platforms (15 minutes on each)
• Sakai -  John Norman , University of Cambridge
• Bodington - Paul Davis, University of Oxford
• Moodle Carol Howard, Oaklands College
• 1245 - Lunch

12
The Programme

• 1330 - First set of parallel workshops
• 1 Hands-on Sakai John Norman , University of
  Cambridge (Titan 1)
• 2 Hands-on Bodington Paul Davis, University of
  Oxford (Titan 2)
• 3 An institutional VLE (StudyNet) Peter Bullen
  and David Piper, University of Hertfordshire
  (Phoenix)
• 1430 - Second set of parallel workshops
• 4 Hands-on Moodle Carol Howard/Charlie
  Williams, Oaklands College (Titan 1)
• 5 Hands-on LAMS Andrew Logue (LAMS
  International) Simon Walker (University of
  Greenwich) (Titan 2)
• 6 Future OS Learning Environments with Randy
  Metcalfe, JISC OSS Watch and Janette Hillicks,
  JISCinfoNet (Phoenix)
• 1530 - Tea
• 1545 - Keynote 3 - Virtual Learning
  Environments, Web 2.0 and Beyond - Chuck
  Severance, Sakai Chief Architect, University of
  Michigan
• 1615 - Plenary - Panel QA and discussion
• 1630 - Depart

13
Thank You

• Eddie Gulc
• eddie.gulc_at_heacademy.ac.uk
• www.heacademy.ac.uk 

14
A Few Questions

• Do we need Open Source?
• Why do discussions about OS invariably become so
  polarized?
• Do we need a VLE at all?
• What do we need to stimulate and maintain a
  healthy educational ecosystem?
• Why does Moodle claim to be student-centred?
• Learning Environment or Learning Management
  System? if the emphasis is the latter does it
  matter whether its open source or not?