Environment

[Marco Koene]

Can anybody give advice on which e-learning environment is best to use?

<See also discussion in E-learning>

[Nick Falk]

I have had quite a lot of experience with Digital Brain (mentioned in another posting) which had some good points. The main difficulties were allowing students to upload and download files from their space on the DB server. The firewall was a problem for some applications.

Providing DB with student data was also a headache.

We are now looking at Capita (who produce SIMS) so integration of data shouild be relatively simple. It appears to offer much the same functionality as DB.

Hope this helps

[Marco Koene]

Thank you!

[Guest Andrew Moore]

I am deeply suspicious of most so-called virtual learning environments. Generally they are no more than elaborate Web sites, that assemble a collection of tools, and impose all sorts of restrictions on the users. The people who sell them to you, do not have to use them. But they do want to make you pay them lots of money every year.

The attempt to place and keep all one's data, services and interactions in one place is contrary to the kind of anarchy/inventiveness that makes new technologies dynamic and increasingly flexible. For example, by using, say, a message board, storage areas on local and remote networks (including the Web), instant messaging and e-mail, you can achieve all the interactions and learning activities you need.

I accept that schools may need some kinds of service that appear to legitimate users, but are not open to inappropriate users - for sensitive or personal information. So, there is scope for a modest and basic kind of system for information and management/leadership. You can buy into relatively inexpensive systems that come with support, or (as my region in the UK is doing) develop your own, on an Open Source model.