Comments on: Sakai Paris 2008: The State of the Union http://mfeldstein.com/sakai-paris-2008-the-state-of-the-union/ What We Are Learning About Online Learning...Online Fri, 18 May 2012 06:39:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Sakai Boston 2009: The State of the Union http://mfeldstein.com/sakai-paris-2008-the-state-of-the-union/#comment-1156 Sakai Boston 2009: The State of the Union Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:01:56 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/sakai-paris-2008-the-state-of-the-union/#comment-1156 [...] few days, starting with my obligatory Sakai conference summary. Since last conference represented something of a watershed, I wasn’t sure if I would use the same categories of comment or come up with something new. I [...] [...] few days, starting with my obligatory Sakai conference summary. Since last conference represented something of a watershed, I wasn’t sure if I would use the same categories of comment or come up with something new. I [...]

]]> By: edutech » Blog Archive » Sorry, We’re Open http://mfeldstein.com/sakai-paris-2008-the-state-of-the-union/#comment-1155 edutech » Blog Archive » Sorry, We’re Open Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:58:29 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/sakai-paris-2008-the-state-of-the-union/#comment-1155 [...] Which brings me to Sakai. After the Sakai Paris 2008 conference, Michel Feldstein suggests there is “a new Sakai” on the horizon. And he could very well be right, and while I was underwhelmed by what I saw of the old Sakai, the next two years could very well be a watershed for this open source application. Nonetheless, Sakai and Moodle have everything to gain by some kind of seamless integration with BlackBoard, and these open source applications by their very nature can take advantage of the opportunity thanks to the altruism(?) of BlackBoard. Let’s face it, by such a move to connect with these open tools (that aren’t that much cheaper in the end) BlackBoard gets that much more of a competitive edge in a market they already dominate. And, in my humble opinion , both Sakai and Moodle represent the worst kind of “learning” application (whether or not they are open source): course management systems. They ape the functionality of BlackBoard, but just in an open source model—they are course specific, they have few features that actually enhance learning, and they smack of an outdated model of ownership, control, and management—which makes them administrative tools, not learning tools. [...] [...] Which brings me to Sakai. After the Sakai Paris 2008 conference, Michel Feldstein suggests there is “a new Sakai” on the horizon. And he could very well be right, and while I was underwhelmed by what I saw of the old Sakai, the next two years could very well be a watershed for this open source application. Nonetheless, Sakai and Moodle have everything to gain by some kind of seamless integration with BlackBoard, and these open source applications by their very nature can take advantage of the opportunity thanks to the altruism(?) of BlackBoard. Let’s face it, by such a move to connect with these open tools (that aren’t that much cheaper in the end) BlackBoard gets that much more of a competitive edge in a market they already dominate. And, in my humble opinion , both Sakai and Moodle represent the worst kind of “learning” application (whether or not they are open source): course management systems. They ape the functionality of BlackBoard, but just in an open source model—they are course specific, they have few features that actually enhance learning, and they smack of an outdated model of ownership, control, and management—which makes them administrative tools, not learning tools. [...]

]]> By: hagzan http://mfeldstein.com/sakai-paris-2008-the-state-of-the-union/#comment-1154 hagzan Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:12:17 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/sakai-paris-2008-the-state-of-the-union/#comment-1154 http://chronicle.com/free/2008/07/3809n.htm "Blackboard Inc. has teamed up with programmers at Syracuse University to let its course-management software connect with Sakai, a free open-source alternative. But some fans of open-source software have expressed skepticism about whether the company, which is known for its aggressive tactics, will deliver on its promise for greater openness." http://chronicle.com/free/2008/07/3809n.htm

“Blackboard Inc. has teamed up with programmers at Syracuse University to let its course-management software connect with Sakai, a free open-source alternative. But some fans of open-source software have expressed skepticism about whether the company, which is known for its aggressive tactics, will deliver on its promise for greater openness.”

]]> By: SAKAI- model for Opensource « Tim’s Blog de Blog http://mfeldstein.com/sakai-paris-2008-the-state-of-the-union/#comment-1153 SAKAI- model for Opensource « Tim’s Blog de Blog Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:24:01 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/sakai-paris-2008-the-state-of-the-union/#comment-1153 [...] set and road map, but also a discussion on the relative support and Business models of Sakai and Moodle. The SAKAi opensource model is based on a Foundation approach (similar to LAMS I suspect). ProperlySAKAIs new commitment to transparency as one of the virtues (again similar to LAMS)- cf with Moodle’s ‘Byzantine’ structures [as Feldstein describes them]. Opensource applicationsfeature list-any standrds accountability (but hey vendors aren’t clean), notable is recent Moodle criticism of its export function.  James Dalziels (happens to be LAMS founder) & DianaLaurillards  presentation on usability from a pedagogical perspective, must also be icing on the Sakai cake from both a user perspective and a ringing international academic endorsement. [...] [...] set and road map, but also a discussion on the relative support and Business models of Sakai and Moodle. The SAKAi opensource model is based on a Foundation approach (similar to LAMS I suspect). ProperlySAKAIs new commitment to transparency as one of the virtues (again similar to LAMS)- cf with Moodle’s ‘Byzantine’ structures [as Feldstein describes them]. Opensource applicationsfeature list-any standrds accountability (but hey vendors aren’t clean), notable is recent Moodle criticism of its export function.  James Dalziels (happens to be LAMS founder) & DianaLaurillards  presentation on usability from a pedagogical perspective, must also be icing on the Sakai cake from both a user perspective and a ringing international academic endorsement. [...]

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