"My issue is not with *free* software, but in ensuring that regardless
of which software you use, you ensure that the software has the backup
and support from within the college to work once the enthusiasm wears
off or leaves. This backup and support is what really costs money."
I agree entirely with the above. This is what is meant by "embedding".
Diverting resources to support initiatives. On a personal level,
resources can be conjured up through enthusiasm. On the essential
institutional level external ILT funding can be used to pump prime an
activity.
When the external funding dries up (as it has now), how many colleges
will move what spare resources they have to support VLE development? I
think it's crunch time for VLE developent in FE.
What do others think??
-----Original Message-----
From: Virtual Learning Environments [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of James Clay
Sent: 09 June 2005 16:52
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [VLES] MOODLE with LAMS FREE
In terms of
> A lot of progress is possible using open source products like Moodle
> at very minimal cost and the individual enthusiasm of a few.
The problem is that you can start to rely on the *free* enthusiasm, why
should we invest money in this as we have the staff doing it for free...
Problems then start to arise:
* if the *enthusiasm* starts to impact on the day job of the few
* if the enthusiast leaves (or gets poached by another institution)
what processes are in place to ensure that someone else enthusiastic
takes over... and where was there enthusiasm before.
I agree with Peter a lot of progress can be made in this way.
I was once an enthusiast, I used a lot of free (read as in free on the
cover of a PC Magazine) software to utilise learning technologies...
There was very little management support. Once I left there were no more
systems, no processes, no support, no more enthusiasts...
My issue is not with *free* software, but in ensuring that regardless of
which software you use, you ensure that the software has the backup and
support from within the college to work once the enthusiasm wears off or
leaves. This backup and support is what really costs money.
James Clay
Director Western Colleges Consortium
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
www.westerncc.ac.uk
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Virtual Learning Environments
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Peter Trethewey
> Sent: 09 June 2005 09:54
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: MOODLE with LAMS FREE
>
> No innovation is free but sometimes a significant purchase price will
> stop possible innovation in its tracks.
>
> Significant purchase price means that a case has to be made to and
> understood by management.
>
> Open source means that experimentation can be teacher-led in the hope
> that one day management will catch up or not as the case may be. A lot
> of progress is possible using open source products like Moodle at very
> minimal cost and the individual enthusiasm of a few.
>
> The pros and cons of teacher-led vs. management-led is a interesting
> theme. What is certain is that for the innovation to take root it
> needs to be owned by both management and teachers. Which end you start
> at may be irrelevant.
>
> I am now less sure about the benefits of VLE's in mainstream FE than I
> was 5 years ago. Maybe the case for VLE still hasn't fully been
> made???
>
> Or maybe I'm going backwards?
>
> Peter Trethewey
> Head of ILT/e-learning
> Bromley College
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Virtual Learning Environments
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Patrick Hickey
> Sent: 09 June 2005 09:17
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [VLES] MOODLE with LAMS FREE
>
> 'Free' refers to liberty NOT price - as in free speech. It is patently
> obvious that Moodle is not free of cost.
> See
> http://www.fsf.org/licensing/essays/free-sw.html
>
>
>
>
> Patrick Hickey
> ILT Co-ordinator, ext 385
>
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