Online Education

An Analysis Of Open Source Lms

May 10th, 2010

An Analysis Of Open Source Lms

With open source applications being the order of the day LMS are not to be left behind. There is a proliferation of open source LMS in the market with some having come of age and proving tough competition to their commercial counterparts. The use of these open source LMS in higher education is being hailed by academicians and students alike which has seen copious educative institutions and universities adapting them. These LMS offer unique features which cater to varied requirements. Hence no LMS can fit the bill of the best LMS. Trying to incorporate remotely connected features in a single LMS would be a sure recipe for failure. Thus there cannot be a best LMS but there sure can be one that is tailor made for your requirements. We have discussed the features of some of the most popular LMS here to help you in your search.

ATutor

ATutor is an open source webbased Learning Management System LMS that provides easy interface and navigation. While courses can be easily created with the available course platform course creation is difficult with different types of content. SCORM and IMS compliant content packages can be imported and exported but the course elements cannot be bookmarked. Functions too cannot be easily added to by the developers but overall ATutor is designed for easy accessibility and adaptability.

Claroline

Designed with a shipshape interface Claroline is marked by ease of use and a typical assortment of functions. Course creation can be quick and requires no training. Features such as a private document repository are beneficial for a group. But the browse back control is erratic and all course elements cannot be bookmarked. The access to documents is not controlled rendering them prone to security concerns. Limited customization options and weak documentation leave much to be desired.

dotLRN

This open source LMS is based on open ACS a toolkit which is certified by the consortium of dotLRN. Tools like RSS feeds emails and SMS notifications surveys IM chat polling blogs and FAQs support collaborative and community learning. Innovative features such as homework drop box assessment content organization and SCORM display are addons. Student tracking data can be exported while exchange of learning objects is also made possible. But the diverse interface with its inconsistencies is its major drawback.

Ilias

A web based LMS and collaboration platform Ilias controls access to documents flexibly depending upon roles. This allows course scenarios to be more pedagogically effective. Authoring tools are made available to students with the facility of hosting multiple clients on one installation. Finding functions is difficult and requires too many clicks. A diverse group of developers are responsible for the project giving rise to uneven quality and usability concerns. Designers are presented with innumerable possibilities that are a little confusing.

Moodle

An open source LMS Moodle is easy on first timers by allowing them a jump start. Quick establishment of a course like content pages forum and quizzes is one of its best features. The ability of the software to maintain advanced tools like wiki assignments glossary survey and lesson without impinging upon the quality of its interface is something to cheer for. But advanced features in the documentation can cause much despair because of ill designed documentation.

OLAT

One more open source LMS Olat allows creation of random working groups by users with features such as file storage discussion forum chat mail and announcement tools. The frame free design makes it intuitive for authors and students alike. Easily customizable CSS controlled look clean interface and well documented technical architecture are added benefits. On the other hand there is no keyword search in course content and discussion forums no bookmarking facility and no browse back option. The development and contributions come from a rather small community; hence productive installations are less in number.

Interact

Designed with a view to ease online interaction Interact allows you to experiment with the learning structure rather than adhering to a predefined way of presenting content and interacting.

Conclusion

All these above mentioned learning platforms are efficient in their own ways but different nonetheless. It is important to look at their individual functions and select the one that would be most suitable

About the writer: Viswanath Shankar has been managing and maintaining various elearning softwares for the past decade and a half. A storehouse of knowledge about LMS Learning Management Systems He has been working in close coordination with web development experts to develop user friendly distance learning programs. It takes a professional like him to declare the big time arrival of e learning as a worthy substitute to conventional learning techniques.