1. eLearning Hosting Providers
Comparative analysis of BigGyan, Remote
Remote-Learn.net and
E-Learn Design Ltd.
Learn
10 February 2010
Valeria Filipova
Plovdiv University, Bulgaria
valeria.filipova@gmail.com
2. Presentation will cover
What is eLearning?
Learning Management System (LMS)
Open Source LMS
Commercial LMS
Moodle Vs Blackboard
Features of Moodle
Main Objective of the Study
Study - BigGyan, Remote
Remote-Learn.net and E-Learn Design Ltd.
Findings
Suggestions
3. What is eLearning?
eLearning (or electronic learning or eLearning) is a term
that encompasses all forms of Technology-EnhancedEnhanced
Learning (TEL) or very specific types of TEL such as online
or Web-based learning. Nevertheless, the term does not
have a universally accepted definition.
The term eLearning is ambiguous to those outside the
eLearning industry, and even within its diverse disciplines it
has different meanings to different people. For instance in
companies, it often refers to the strategies that use the
company network to deliver training courses to employees
and lately in most Universities, eLearning is used to define
a specific mode to attend a course or program of study
where the students rarely or never meet face-to-face, nor
face,
access on-campus educational facilities, because they study
online.
4. Learning Management System (LMS)
A learning management system (LMS) is a software
application for the administration, documentation,
tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom
and online events, eLearning programs, and training
content.
LMSs cater to educational, administrative, and
deployment requirements. While an LMS for corporate
learning, for example, may share many characteristics
with a VLE, or virtual learning environment, used by
educational institutions, they each meet unique needs
needs.
The virtual learning environment used by universities and
colleges allow instructors to manage their courses and
exchange information with students for a course that in
most cases will last several weeks and will meet several
times during those weeks.
In the corporate setting a course may be much shorter,
completed in a single instructor-led or online session
session.
5. Open Source LMS
There are many open source LMS available. Below, is a list of most popular ones. The list is
presented in alphabetical order and is not an indication of their popularity or effectiveness.
• ATutor
• Claroline
• Dokeos
• ILIAS -
• Moodle
• OLAT
• Sakai Project
Moodle is the number one open source LMS. Moodle has a significant user base with more than
45k registered sites. Apart from that, it is easily extendible
extendible.
Moodle software is free but to get a real sense of cost of implementing Moodle see this link -
http://www.interactyx.com/blog/us-72-000-i-thought
thought-moodle-was-free
6. Commercial LMS
Similarly, there are many commercial LMS available Below, is list of most popular ones. The list is
available.
presented in alphabetical order and is not an indication of their popularity or effectiveness.
• Angel Learning
• Blackboard
• Desire2Learn
• eCollege
Blackboard is most popular commercial eLearning Software provided by company of same
name. Blackboard was involved in a fight regarding a patent infringement case. Blackboard got lot
of negative publicity due to opposition by open source community. Finally, they took a pledge to
forever refrain from asserting patent rights against open-source developers, except when it is itself
sued for patent infringement.
7. Moodle Vs Blackboard
Now we know, the best open source tool and the best commercial tool available. But which of them to
use in your institute?
In Feb. 2005, Kathy D. Munoz, and Joan Van Duzer from Humboldt State University (HSU) conducted a
study to find Better tool between Moodle and Blackboard and he published a report – "Blackboard vs.
Moodle. A Comparison of Satisfaction with Online Teaching and Learning Tools".
The research involved teaching students using Blackboard and Moodle as an addition to normal
classroom teaching. Some of the question that research intended to answer are as follows:
• 1. Did Blackboard/Moodle enhance instruction?
• 2. Received adequate technical assistance?
• 3 .Technology-based activities developed problem
problem-solving skills?
• 4.Well organized instructional materials?
• 5. Communication tools: Interaction with classmates?
• 6. Communication tools: Interaction with instructor?
• 7.Web-based resources were effective learning tools?
• 8. Discussion Boards were easy to use?
Almost on all these parameters Moodle scored over blackboard. Moodle was found to be more effective
tool for students and teachers. So we have a clear winner – Moodle.
8. Features of Moodle
o User management
Overview
Enrolment
Roles
o Course management
Overview
Assignment Module
Chat Module
Forum Module
Glossary Module
Quiz Module
Resource Module
Wiki Module
Workshop Module
o Site management
9. Main objective of this Study
Evaluation and examination of
Moodle hosting providers.
To find a less costly, efficient,
production grade Moodle
hosting.
10. Methodology of the study
Selection of popular Moodle Hosting Providers
Data collection using a checklist
Scoring of software performance
Computation of the performance of Moodle Hosting Providers
11. Popular commercial Moodle based LMS providers
Price (500 users),
Name Full Support,
100GB)
BigGyan Rs. 2,500 per month
- Full Support 25GB
Remote- Rs. 10, 400 per month
- Only 3 Support Accounts
Learner.net - 25GB
E-Learn Design Rs. 7,000 per month
Ltd. - 15GB
13. BigGyan features
•Cloud platform
•50GB space
•Integration with your existing website
•Pre-prepared content
•Automatic daily backups
•24X7 Web-based help (raise unlimited
number of tickets)
• Basic Theme customization (your logo
and colors etc.)
•Fully Ajax user interface
•Extendible - BigGyan App Engine
•BigGyan search engine
•Attendance, automatic certificates, E-
mail, Video-conference, Media centre
Lightbox directory
•Integration with Google Apps
14. Remote-Learner . net
features
•25GB storage
• 2-Hour backups (with incremental
rollback)
•Limited Support (3 Support accounts)
•Custom Moodle theme
•Unique URL
15. E-Learn Design Ltd.
features
•15GB space for your files
•1000 users/ 50 courses
•Free domain name
• Nightly backups
• Basic Theme customization (your logo
and colors etc.)
•Limited Support
16. Data collection list
1. Getting started 3.Managing users NetLogo
Signing up Enhanced User Administration Jmol
Ease of using - Admin Importing Users Word censorship
Ease of using - Faculty Adding Users Report Cards
Ease of using - Students Deleting Users
Promoting Users 6.User Interface
2. Managing Courses Alumni Management Ajax based interface
Creating new courses Cool colour schemes
Uploading content 4. Backups Integrated Logo
Searching content Automatic Backups
Data Security
3. Pre-prepared courses Restore data 7.Help and Support
Universities Video Tutorials
Competition Exams 5 Add-on Modules
on Detailed Tutorials
K-12 courses Certificates Online Helpdesk
Vocational Courses Attendance Phone Support
Corporate Training Mobile Learning Webinars
Google Apps
Email 8.SLA
99.9% uptime
17. Scoring Scheme
Excellent
Very good 4 5
Very good 4
Good 3
Good 3
Average 2
Average 2
Poor 1
Poor 1
Not available 0
Not available 0
18. Getting Started –Analyzed data
Score
Sub functions Remote-Learn E-Learn
BigGyan
.net Design Ltd.
Signing up 4 2 1
Ease of learning - Admin 3 1 1
Ease of learning - Teacher 5 2 2
Ease of learning - Students 4 3 1
Reports & Statistics 4 0 0
20 8 5
Total 25 (80%) (32%) (20%)
19. Managing Courses – Analyzed data
Score
Sub functions Remote-Learn E-Learn
BigGyan
.net Design Ltd.
Creating New courses 5 3 3
Searching content 4 0 0
Creating content 4 3 3
Uploading content 3 0 0
Rapid course development 5+ 2 1
21 8 7
Total 25 (84%) (32%) (28%)
23. Support - Analysis
Scores
Sub- functions Remote-Learn E-Learn
BigGyan
.net Design Ltd.
24X7 Email Support/ 5 2 2
Helpdesk
Video Tutorials 4 1 1
Get Satisfaction Community 5 0 0
Onsite Support 5 2 2
Total 20 17 5 5
85% 25% 25%
24. Findings
BigGyan satisfies all the functional requirements of a learning management
system.
Pre-prepared courses and most of add-on modules are not available in
Remote-Learn.net and E-Learn Design Ltd.
E-Learn Design Ltd. is not recommended for any type of implementation
as the data security is not guaranteed
guaranteed.
BigGyan has all the features of commercial system available in the market.
The study finds BigGyan to be the most useful
and most beautiful eLearning platform.
25. Suggestions
• Don't use free hostings unless your goals are short
short-term.
• BigGyan provides a complete solution to most clients.
The packages are available for institutes of various sizes - whether an
individual teacher teaching 50 students or a university with over 5000
students.
26. Thank you
Valeria Filipova
valeria.filipova@gmail.com
