An Outsourced Open Source LMS and a Pot of Gold? Clark Shah-Nelson, Coordinator of Online Education SUNY Delhi College of Technology Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike: Clark Shah-Nelson, 2008.

Background SUNY Delhi: over sixty 1, 2, and 4 year programs approximately 2700 students In house WebCT server since 2004 Also hosted courses on SUNY Learning Network Predominantly web-enhanced courses Small but increasing number of fully online / asynchronous courses

SUNY Delhi:

over sixty 1, 2, and 4 year programs

approximately 2700 students

In house WebCT server since 2004

Also hosted courses on SUNY Learning Network

Predominantly web-enhanced courses

Small but increasing number of fully online / asynchronous courses

Online Courses and Enrollments Growth:

Growth:

Online Coordinator Began December 2006 Past experience teaching with E-Education (Jones) (1999-2001) eCollege (2001-2007) Past experience admin/support for: Blackboard (2006) Position described working with WebCT and SLN…

Began December 2006

Past experience teaching with

E-Education (Jones) (1999-2001)

eCollege (2001-2007)

Past experience admin/support for:

Blackboard (2006)

Position described working with WebCT and SLN…

The Task… Research and select a new system Migrate courses Train users Develop orientations, documentation, etc. By end of 2008… No time for lengthy focus group sessions, LMS comparisons, etc.

Research and select a new system

Migrate courses

Train users

Develop orientations, documentation, etc.

By end of 2008… No time for lengthy focus group sessions, LMS comparisons, etc.

Documentation Agile Project Management Requirements Gathering in Confluence wiki Business, Technical, Functional Requirements: Integration with Luminis Message Broker for course setup, user enrollment via Banner Match current functions of WebCT Upload and store media files Online quizzes, discussions, etc.

Agile Project Management

Requirements Gathering in Confluence wiki

Business, Technical, Functional Requirements:

Integration with Luminis Message Broker for course setup, user enrollment via Banner

Match current functions of WebCT

Upload and store media files

Online quizzes, discussions, etc.

Total Cost of Ownership

Total Cost of Ownership

Total Cost of Ownership

Total Cost of Ownership

Total Cost of Ownership

Final Selection Outsourced Open Source LMS: Moodle hosted by Moodlerooms, Inc. Do we need to hire more personnel? No. Is the LMS stable and secure? Yes.

Outsourced Open Source LMS: Moodle hosted by Moodlerooms, Inc.

Do we need to hire more personnel?

No.

Is the LMS stable and secure?

Yes.

Out vs. In Downsides: A bit slower than in house (bandwidth) Help - contact another company rather than the tech around the corner Upsides: Campus outages not affected Sys Admin focused ONLY on Moodle They purchase and maintain/replace software/machines

Downsides:

A bit slower than in house (bandwidth)

Help - contact another company rather than the tech around the corner

Upsides:

Campus outages not affected

Sys Admin focused ONLY on Moodle

They purchase and maintain/replace software/machines

Open vs. Enterprise Rich community of user forums, tutorials, resources, bug tracker Less Cost - at all levels Luminis Message Broker Digester - $0 WebCTimport tool - $0 Just as stable and more feature-rich More social networking capability, Web 2.0 Quicker to gain new features More customizable Did I mention cost?

Rich community of user forums, tutorials, resources, bug tracker

Less Cost - at all levels

Luminis Message Broker Digester - $0

WebCTimport tool - $0

Just as stable and more feature-rich

More social networking capability, Web 2.0

Quicker to gain new features

More customizable

Did I mention cost?

Timeline March 2007 - Hostmonster account set up with multiple instances of Moodle for training development, experimentation, etc. ($75 /year splurge) May 2007 - Course development server established June 2007 - Initial training modules developed and delivered July 2007 - Begin test Luminis Message Broker / Banner integration Fall 2007 - initial courses developed for Spring 2008 production server October 2007 - establish and test production server Spring 2008 - offer Nursing BSN and Vet Tech courses on production server Spring/Summer 2008 - additional training offered, Summer courses migrated Summer 2008 - Fall courses migrated from WebCT/SLN Fall 2008 - additional training and J-term/Spring course migration

March 2007 - Hostmonster account set up with multiple instances of Moodle for training development, experimentation, etc. ($75 /year splurge)

May 2007 - Course development server established

June 2007 - Initial training modules developed and delivered

July 2007 - Begin test Luminis Message Broker / Banner integration

Fall 2007 - initial courses developed for Spring 2008 production server

October 2007 - establish and test production server

Spring 2008 - offer Nursing BSN and Vet Tech courses on production server

Spring/Summer 2008 - additional training offered, Summer courses migrated

Summer 2008 - Fall courses migrated from WebCT/SLN

Fall 2008 - additional training and J-term/Spring course migration

Faculty Members Concerned about training: Took much less time than WebCT to learn Easier to use More features Exciting new possibilities iPod training program Concerned about converting courses: We do that for them Webctimport plugin from moodle.org

Concerned about training:

Took much less time than WebCT to learn

Easier to use

More features

Exciting new possibilities

iPod training program

Concerned about converting courses:

We do that for them

Webctimport plugin from moodle.org

Students Love the new system: Easier to navigate than WebCT Like having images of fellow students Easier to follow discussions

Love the new system:

Easier to navigate than WebCT

Like having images of fellow students

Easier to follow discussions

Coordinator Faculty are more self-sufficient More fun to administer More focus on training Hosted in expert environment High level of customization More funds for faculty development

Faculty are more self-sufficient

More fun to administer

More focus on training

Hosted in expert environment

High level of customization

More funds for faculty development

Staff More interested in using the LMS for training and staff development See LMS as a way to reach students Involved with Moodle Orientation for students No noticable difference for registration, enrollments, etc.

More interested in using the LMS for training and staff development

See LMS as a way to reach students

Involved with Moodle Orientation for students

No noticable difference for registration, enrollments, etc.

Administration Left research and decision in our hands Appreciate “international-ness” Bottom line: Furthering educational mission $$$: The Pot of Gold

Left research and decision in our hands

Appreciate “international-ness”

Bottom line:

Furthering educational mission

$$$: The Pot of Gold

The End Questions? Clark Shah-Nelson [email_address] www.delhi.edu - Confluence wiki documentation http://blogs.nercomp.org/blogs/nac2008/ 2-3-98 - Open Source Conference and Moodle Moot at SUNY Delhi June 19/20, 2008 www.delhi.edu/2-3-98/

Questions?

Clark Shah-Nelson

[email_address]

www.delhi.edu - Confluence wiki documentation

http://blogs.nercomp.org/blogs/nac2008/

2-3-98 - Open Source Conference and Moodle Moot at SUNY Delhi

June 19/20, 2008

www.delhi.edu/2-3-98/