The Top Free Tools for Learning Jane Hart Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies www.C4LPT.co.uk

What is “free” Freeware offered free of charge. might have an End User Licence each license will be particular to the software, but generally you can't re-sell it although you might be able to redistribute it. Open source tightens up sometimes loose freeware arrangements. made available as source code under a copyright license which allows users to copy, use and modify it provided that you agree to provide the source to others. a number of open source licences, e.g. the GNU Public License. Liteware free version of commercial software. often doesn’t offer full functionality, or will display ads, or will only support a small number of users or pieces of content. Trialware free software that expires within a period of time or watermarks the content until the full software is purchased.

Freeware

offered free of charge.

might have an End User Licence

each license will be particular to the software, but generally you can't re-sell it although you might be able to redistribute it.

Open source

tightens up sometimes loose freeware arrangements.

made available as source code under a copyright license which allows users to copy, use and modify it provided that you agree to provide the source to others.

a number of open source licences, e.g. the GNU Public License.

Liteware

free version of commercial software.

often doesn’t offer full functionality, or will display ads, or will only support a small number of users or pieces of content.

Trialware

free software that expires within a period of time or watermarks the content until the full software is purchased.

Availability Download Install on personal computers or servers Online Web-based tools or services

Download

Install on personal computers or servers

Online

Web-based tools or services

Top Tools for Learning “What are your 10 favourite tools for your personal learning/working or for creating learning for others?”

“What are your 10 favourite tools for your personal learning/working or for creating learning for others?”

Results 109 respondents from academic and corporate training worlds Over 400 tools mentioned 100 tools mentioned 3 or more times 50 mentioned twice Not all “dedicated” learning tools – many are multi-purpose tools Over 75% of tools are FREE

109 respondents from academic and corporate training worlds

Over 400 tools mentioned

100 tools mentioned 3 or more times

50 mentioned twice

Not all “dedicated” learning tools – many are multi-purpose tools

Over 75% of tools are FREE

Top 100 Tools Personal Tools tools for managing your own learning Producer Tools tools for creating and delivering informational, instructional, collaborative and performance support solutions

Personal Tools tools for managing your own learning

Producer Tools tools for creating and delivering informational, instructional, collaborative and performance support solutions

Personal Tools Free tools for managing your own learning

Free tools for managing your own learning

1 “ window into the Web” “ ease of use”, “functionality” “ hundreds of add-ons”, e.g. Zotero, ScribeFire, FireBug Firefox 3 very soon!

“ window into the Web”

“ ease of use”, “functionality”

“ hundreds of add-ons”, e.g. Zotero, ScribeFire, FireBug

Firefox 3 very soon!

online social bookmarking tool “ store, tag and share bookmarks” “ search for and find bookmarks” “ find out about new things” 2

online social bookmarking tool

“ store, tag and share bookmarks”

“ search for and find bookmarks”

“ find out about new things”

instant messaging tool to download “ VoIP and low-cost calls to landlines” “ useful for collaboration” “ third-party add-ons extend its functionality” 3=

instant messaging tool to download

“ VoIP and low-cost calls to landlines”

“ useful for collaboration”

“ third-party add-ons extend its functionality”

invaluable search engine “ Googling” is essential “ ultimate e-learning tool” for some “represents the whole Google brand” 3=

invaluable search engine

“ Googling” is essential

“ ultimate e-learning tool”

for some “represents the whole Google brand”

most popular e-mail tool web-based (although now IMAP) “search”, “tagging”, “threaded conversations” “large amount of storage space” 7=

most popular e-mail tool

web-based (although now IMAP)

“search”, “tagging”, “threaded conversations”

“large amount of storage space”

open source cross-platform email client from Mozilla (as Firefox) “ stable”, “easy to use”, “easy on memory”, “reads RSS” “ growing range of add-ons” 22=

open source cross-platform email client

from Mozilla (as Firefox)

“ stable”, “easy to use”, “easy on memory”, “reads RSS”

“ growing range of add-ons”

7= web-based RSS/feed reader “ to read blog postings and other news” “ to learn from others”

web-based RSS/feed reader

“ to read blog postings and other news”

“ to learn from others”

web-based start page tool “ to aggregate all the Google resources on your desktop” – gMail, Google Calendar and productivity apps “ personalised desktop” 17=

web-based start page tool

“ to aggregate all the Google resources on your desktop” – gMail, Google Calendar and productivity apps

“ personalised desktop”

Producer Tools Free tools for creating and delivering informational, instructional, collaborative and performance support solutions

Free tools for creating and delivering informational, instructional, collaborative and performance support solutions

web-based document creation “ create, store and share documents and spreadsheets “(now also presentations) “ work on your own or collaboratively” publicly or privately viewable on the web import docs from MS Word or OpenOffice 14

web-based document creation

“ create, store and share documents and spreadsheets “(now also presentations)

“ work on your own or collaboratively”

publicly or privately viewable on the web

import docs from MS Word or OpenOffice

Open source office suite to download Documents, spreadsheets, presentations Convert materials to PDF, and presentations to SWF 26=

Open source office suite to download

Documents, spreadsheets, presentations

Convert materials to PDF, and presentations to SWF

popular hosted blogging tool (1m+ blogs) easy to use, attractive themes, useful widgets, stats reporting “ for personal and professional blogging and networking”, “helping others learn via blog” 6

popular hosted blogging tool (1m+ blogs)

easy to use, attractive themes, useful widgets, stats reporting

“ for personal and professional blogging and networking”, “helping others learn via blog”

online wiki tool for “collaborative working and learning” for “collaborative documentation” for “brainstorming”, “formal class websites”, “discussions”, etc 15

online wiki tool

for “collaborative working and learning”

for “collaborative documentation”

for “brainstorming”, “formal class websites”, “discussions”, etc

online tool for hosting and sharing presentations (public or private) created in PPT, OO or Keynote link or embed synchronise with MP3 file for slidecasting for screencasting too 26=

online tool for hosting and sharing presentations (public or private)

created in PPT, OO or Keynote

link or embed

synchronise with MP3 file for slidecasting

for screencasting too

26=

upload and share videos (public or private) public videos = useful resource link to or embed videos (web and blog pages and PPT) for company & product briefings, screencasting, etc 22=

upload and share videos (public or private)

public videos = useful resource

link to or embed videos (web and blog pages and PPT)

for company & product briefings, screencasting, etc

cross-platform open source sound editor and recorder to download “ easy to record and edit” “ for recording audio files and podcasts” 11

cross-platform open source sound editor and recorder to download

“ easy to record and edit”

“ for recording audio files and podcasts”

11

instant real-time desktop sharing “ virtual meetings and web conferencing “ “ whiteboard, annotate and share files” invite up to 10 people for free Skype plug-in now available liteware 72=

instant real-time desktop sharing

“ virtual meetings and web conferencing “

“ whiteboard, annotate and share files”

invite up to 10 people for free

Skype plug-in now available

liteware

tool to create and customise your own social network / community for “sharing information”, “discussion”, “blogging”, etc 26= Ning

tool to create and customise your own social network / community

for “sharing information”, “discussion”, “blogging”, etc

open source course management system to download and install on server provides sophisticated functionality of an educational CMS and more easy to use 12=

open source course management system

to download and install on server

provides sophisticated functionality of an educational CMS and more

easy to use

open source authoring tool to develop web pages for e-learning aimed at teachers at academics can export as web pages (for a webserver) or SCORM compliant content (for a CMS) 72=

open source authoring tool to develop web pages for e-learning

aimed at teachers at academics

can export as web pages (for a webserver) or SCORM compliant content (for a CMS)

course authoring tool + course templates WYSIWYG environment – PowerPoint-like interface courses can include narration can be published to web, LMS or CD 101=

course authoring tool + course templates

WYSIWYG environment – PowerPoint-like interface

courses can include narration

can be published to web, LMS or CD

PDF Top 150 Tools – by popularity Top 150 Tools - by category Top 150 Tools alphabetically (cost, availability, platform)

Top Tools 2008

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