Future Open Source Learning Environments - Supporting Resources

The following list of resource links was compiled for delegates attending the 'Open Source VLEs: the next generation' event at York St John's College on 14th December 2005. The links were generated from the workshop discussion. The event was part of the Higher Education Academy's Innovations theme.

Pedagogical Models

JISC infoNet's Applied infoKit on the Effective Use of VLEs looks at teaching and learning and considers approaches to course design using technology:
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/effective-use-of-VLEs/intro-to-VLEs/introtovle-approaches

OSS Watch provides a range of information on Open Source Software that is likely to be of interest to academics:
http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/resources/staffandstudents.xml

Costs

There are several issues to consider that relate to the costs of Open Source Software. OSS Watch has a list of Top 10 Tips for selecting Open Source Software:
http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/resources/tips.xml

Becta (British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) has produced a paper on Open Source Software in Schools which explores usage and related ICT infrastructure costs:
http://www.becta.org.uk/corporate/publications/documents/BEC5606_Full_report18.pdf

JISC infoNet's Contract Negotiation infoKit covers the issue of Agreeing a Price, and whilst this is not necessarily so relevant for the actual Open Source software, it could be usefully applied to the purchase of related services and infrastructure:
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/contract-negotiation/contract-4

GB Direct, a UK based consultancy, software and training company has a paper on the Benefits of Using Open Source Software covering cost and other issues:
http://open-source.gbdirect.co.uk/OpenSourceMigration/benefit.html

Licensing Arrangements

Information on Licensing Arrangements can be found in the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Licensing and Patents section of the OSS Watch website:
http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/resources/ipr.xml

Additional information can be found in a presentation called Licenses, Features and the Open Source Community in Higher Education on the OSS Watch website:
http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/events/2005-07-04/I050704F_OSS_Watch.pdf

Associated Risks

There are a number of risks that may be involved in the adoption and development of open source software. JISC infoNet provides information and supporting documentation on the management of risk in its Risk Management infoKit:
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/risk-management

Technical Support

The importance of the provision of appropriately experienced technical support cannot be underplayed especially in a developing product like Open Source software. OSS Watch has produced a paper offering advice and guidance on Support Models for Open Source Deployment:
http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue40/oss-watch-rpt/

Northumbria Learning, a wholly owned subsidiary of Northumbria University, offers a hosting service:
http://software-support.gbdirect.co.uk/open_source_support_types.html

Another commercial supplier of support, Parthenon Computing can be found at:
http://www.parthenoncomputing.com

Student Opinions

There is not a great deal of feedback available from students on open source software but Becta (British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) has produced a Case Study on software in schools which touches on student attitudes:
http://www.becta.org.uk/corporate/publications/documents/BEC5606_Full_report18.pdf

Additional information on student perspectives can be found in Jeff Haywood's presentation to ALT-C 2005, the presentation also has some useful quotes on e-portfolios:
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/effective-use-of-VLEs/e-portfolios/e-portfolio-student-perspectives

Specifications and Standards

OSS Watch has some information on Open Standards on its website:
http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/resources/openstandards.xml

In a related vein the website has information on Strategy and Policy:
http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/resources/stratpol.xml

Special Interest Groups

CETIS (the Centre for Educational Technology Interoperability Standards) has a number of Special Interest Groups - specialising in a variety of issues relevant to the education sector. CETIS report that there are three areas or levels where SIGs can 'make a difference' - on the development of specifications and standards for learning technology, on the implementation of these in learning technology tools and systems and on the adoption and use of systems and tools that support learning technology specifications and standards. Further information can be found on the CETIS website:
http://www.cetis.ac.uk/static/groups.html

There are other Special Interest Groups including the JISC-RSC-OSS-VLE mail list (http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/JISC-RSC-OSS-VLE.html), the BCS Open Source Specialist Group (http://ossg.bcs.org/), OSS Watch Announce (http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/OSSWATCH-ANNOUNCE.html) and the East Midlands Moodle group (http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/EM-MOODLE.html).

Selecting a Learning Environment

There are a number of Learning Environments available on the market and JISC infoNet gives a broad overview of some of them in the Effective use of VLEs Applied infoKit:
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/effective-use-of-VLEs/intro-to-VLEs/introtovle-intro/introtovle-different-vles

The System Selection infoKit gives information on the selection of systems generally:
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/system-selection

How to implement a new system

JISC infoNet has produced an infoKit which offers information on planning, managing and conducting a system implementation project:
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/system-implementation

Integrating Systems

Integrating systems can be a real challenge. Jos Boys has written a paper on Managed Learning Environments, joined up systems and the problems of organisational change:
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/Resources/external-resources/mle-joined-up-systems

Linux Insider has an interesting article on Integrating Open Source into IT Systems:
http://www.linuxinsider.com/rsstory/43475.html

The JISC e-Learning Framework is "an international effort to develop a service-orientated approach to the development and integration of computer systems in the sphere of learning, research and education administration":
http://www.elframework.org/

e-Assessment

JISC infoNet's Effective Use of VLEs Applied infoKit has a large section on e-assessment. Practical issues and policy and quality issues are considered as is the student perspective:
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/effective-use-of-VLEs/e-assessment/index_html

e-Portfolios

JISC infoNet's resource on e-portfolios outlines different models as well as areas such as legal issues and learner perspectives:
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/effective-use-of-VLEs/e-portfolios/

Accessible e-Learning

TechDis is a JISC funded advisory service working in the UK's higher, further, specialist education and adult and community learning sectors. It has produced a 'Staff Pack' on Accessible e-Learning. The materials "explore the theme of accessibility in relation to simple 'home grown' e-Learning, illustrating how simple techniques can greatly add to the learning experience of many learners. The inherent contradictions of 'universal accessibility' are explored along with suggestions for providing equivalent learning experiences.":
http://www.techdis.ac.uk/resources/sites/staffpacks/Staff%20Packs/Accessible%20Learning/index.xml

Sustainable e-Learning

JISC infoNet looks at designing for sustainability in its Effective Use of VLEs Applied infoKit:
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/effective-use-of-VLEs/designing-for-sustainability