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Education IT, Technology Open source software more suitable for Oxford
http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2010/nov/29/open-source-software-more-su=
itable-oxford/
By Xinghui Guo | 29 November 2010
Open source software is more attractive and better suited to traditional
education needs, the IT head of Oxford University has said.
According to Director of Computing Systems & Services at Oxford University,
Stuart Lee, using open source allows the university flexibility to modify
software and make it more applicable to the Oxford style.
=93When we were looking at Virtual Learning Environments (VLE), commercial
VLEs, like BlackBoard, just to name one, didn=92t understand that students
want to move around the university and look at different areas of interests=
.
=93And when we explained the Oxford learning experience to them, it complet=
ely
threw them off so we went with open source product instead,=94 said Lee.
The Oxford learning experience, as Lee put it, is when students have a shor=
t
eight-week term with a crowded timetable, but are still keen to attend any
lecture they want if it interests them=97and that is why the ability to
capture lectures is very important for the university.
Lee told audiences at the recent FutureCampus event in Kuala Lumpur: =93We
have to develop our own systems off the shelf for things like tutorial
recording. No one is going to be making a product for that because it is
really only Oxford and Cambridge who do it.=94
With open source products in hand and service-oriented architecture to boot=
,
the university is able to =93take one bit in and one bit out=94, he said.
The technology that supports the campus can then be customised to enhance
the =93immersive learning experience=94=97letting students manage their tim=
e and
material, moving around campus and using all kinds of technologies
they want.
The VLE that Oxford uses is called Sakai. Used to support the intimate
face-to-face teaching that Oxford is known for, Sakai is an archive of
materials for students to read.
Said Melissa Highton, Head of Learning Technologies Group at Oxford
University: =93When a student goes to a lecturer=92s Sakai, they have links=
to
the tutor=92s lectures, researches, reading list recommendations and things=
in
the library that the tutor thinks students should look at.
=93Even if they can=92t find the tutor, students still have access to all t=
he
materials and recommendations.
Lee said that customising a technology is not easy to do when you buy =93a
monolithic solution=94 like Blackboard.
Apart from customising, another benefit of open source is that it supports
open learning materials. Using Sakai means the university is not tied down
by a license.
Lee said: =93If we suddenly want to open up a big area of our Sakai VLE, we
don=92t have to renegotiate a license with the vendor.
=93In this way, we can break down international silos in education. We can
open up our VLE to anyone in any country.=94
--=20
Regards,
Evan M. Inker
--00151749f5e88c6a01049631eae2
Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
=20
Education IT,=20
=20
Technology
=20
Open source software more suitable for =
Oxford
ource-software-more-suitable-oxford/">http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/20=
10/nov/29/open-source-software-more-suitable-oxford/
=20
=20
By Xing=
hui Guo | 29 November 2010
=20
=20
=20
Open source software is more attractive and better suited to traditional=
education needs, the IT head of Oxford Univers=
ity has=A0said.
=20
According to Director of Computing Systems &an>
Services at Oxford University, Stuart Lee, using open source allows the
university flexibility to modify software and make it more applicable=20
to the Oxford=A0style.
=93When we were looking at Virtual Learning Environments ("caps">VLE),
commercial VLEs, like BlackBoard, just to name one, didn=92t understand=20
that students want to move around the university and look at different=20
areas of=A0interests.=20
=93And when we explained the Oxford learning=
=20
experience to them, it completely threw them off so we went with open=20
source product instead,=94 said=A0Lee.
The Oxford learning experience, as Lee put it, is when students have a
short eight-week term with a crowded timetable, but are still keen to=20
attend any lecture they want if it interests them=97and that is why the=20
ability to capture lectures is very important for the=A0university.=20
Lee told audiences at the recent FutureCampus event in Kuala Lumpur:=20
=93We have to develop our own systems off the shelf for things like=20
tutorial recording. No one is going to be making a product for that=20
because it is really only Oxford and Cambridge who do=A0it.=94
With open source products in hand and service-oriented architecture=20
to boot, the university is able to =93take one bit in and one bit out=94,=
=20
he=A0said.=20
The technology that supports the campus can then be customised to=20
enhance the =93immersive learning experience=94=97letting students manage=
=20
their time and material, moving around campus and using all kinds of=20
technologies they=A0want.
The VLE that Oxford uses is called Sakai.=20
Used to support the intimate face-to-face teaching that Oxford is known=20
for, Sakai is an archive of materials for students to=A0read.=20
Said Melissa Highton, Head of Learning Technologies Group at Oxford=20
University: =93When a student goes to a lecturer=92s Sakai, they have links=
=20
to the tutor=92s lectures, researches, reading list recommendations and=20
things in the library that the tutor thinks students should look=A0at.
=93Even if they can=92t find the tutor, students still have access to al=
l the materials and=A0recommendations.
Lee said that customising a technology is not easy to do when you buy =
=93a monolithic solution=94 like=A0Blackboard.
Apart from customising, another benefit of open source is that it=20
supports open learning materials. Using Sakai means the university is=20
not tied down by a=A0license.=20
Lee said: =93If we suddenly want to open up a big area of our Sakai n class=3D"caps">VLE, we don=92t have to renegotiate a license with =
the=A0vendor.
=93In this way, we can break down international silos in education. We c=
an open up our VLE to anyone in any=A0country.=
=94
--
Regards,
Evan M. Inker
--00151749f5e88c6a01049631eae2--
--00151749f5e88c6a01049631eae2
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Education IT, Technology Open source software more suitable for Oxford
http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2010/nov/29/open-source-software-more-su=
itable-oxford/
By Xinghui Guo | 29 November 2010
Open source software is more attractive and better suited to traditional
education needs, the IT head of Oxford University has said.
According to Director of Computing Systems & Services at Oxford University,
Stuart Lee, using open source allows the university flexibility to modify
software and make it more applicable to the Oxford style.
=93When we were looking at Virtual Learning Environments (VLE), commercial
VLEs, like BlackBoard, just to name one, didn=92t understand that students
want to move around the university and look at different areas of interests=
.
=93And when we explained the Oxford learning experience to them, it complet=
ely
threw them off so we went with open source product instead,=94 said Lee.
The Oxford learning experience, as Lee put it, is when students have a shor=
t
eight-week term with a crowded timetable, but are still keen to attend any
lecture they want if it interests them=97and that is why the ability to
capture lectures is very important for the university.
Lee told audiences at the recent FutureCampus event in Kuala Lumpur: =93We
have to develop our own systems off the shelf for things like tutorial
recording. No one is going to be making a product for that because it is
really only Oxford and Cambridge who do it.=94
With open source products in hand and service-oriented architecture to boot=
,
the university is able to =93take one bit in and one bit out=94, he said.
The technology that supports the campus can then be customised to enhance
the =93immersive learning experience=94=97letting students manage their tim=
e and
material, moving around campus and using all kinds of technologies
they want.
The VLE that Oxford uses is called Sakai. Used to support the intimate
face-to-face teaching that Oxford is known for, Sakai is an archive of
materials for students to read.
Said Melissa Highton, Head of Learning Technologies Group at Oxford
University: =93When a student goes to a lecturer=92s Sakai, they have links=
to
the tutor=92s lectures, researches, reading list recommendations and things=
in
the library that the tutor thinks students should look at.
=93Even if they can=92t find the tutor, students still have access to all t=
he
materials and recommendations.
Lee said that customising a technology is not easy to do when you buy =93a
monolithic solution=94 like Blackboard.
Apart from customising, another benefit of open source is that it supports
open learning materials. Using Sakai means the university is not tied down
by a license.
Lee said: =93If we suddenly want to open up a big area of our Sakai VLE, we
don=92t have to renegotiate a license with the vendor.
=93In this way, we can break down international silos in education. We can
open up our VLE to anyone in any country.=94
--=20
Regards,
Evan M. Inker
--00151749f5e88c6a01049631eae2
Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
=20
Education IT,=20
=20
Technology
=20
Open source software more suitable for =
Oxford
ource-software-more-suitable-oxford/">http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/20=
10/nov/29/open-source-software-more-suitable-oxford/
=20
=20
By Xing=
hui Guo | 29 November 2010
=20
=20
=20
Open source software is more attractive and better suited to traditional=
education needs, the IT head of Oxford Univers=
ity has=A0said.
=20
According to Director of Computing Systems &an>
Services at Oxford University, Stuart Lee, using open source allows the
university flexibility to modify software and make it more applicable=20
to the Oxford=A0style.
=93When we were looking at Virtual Learning Environments ("caps">VLE),
commercial VLEs, like BlackBoard, just to name one, didn=92t understand=20
that students want to move around the university and look at different=20
areas of=A0interests.=20
=93And when we explained the Oxford learning=
=20
experience to them, it completely threw them off so we went with open=20
source product instead,=94 said=A0Lee.
The Oxford learning experience, as Lee put it, is when students have a
short eight-week term with a crowded timetable, but are still keen to=20
attend any lecture they want if it interests them=97and that is why the=20
ability to capture lectures is very important for the=A0university.=20
Lee told audiences at the recent FutureCampus event in Kuala Lumpur:=20
=93We have to develop our own systems off the shelf for things like=20
tutorial recording. No one is going to be making a product for that=20
because it is really only Oxford and Cambridge who do=A0it.=94
With open source products in hand and service-oriented architecture=20
to boot, the university is able to =93take one bit in and one bit out=94,=
=20
he=A0said.=20
The technology that supports the campus can then be customised to=20
enhance the =93immersive learning experience=94=97letting students manage=
=20
their time and material, moving around campus and using all kinds of=20
technologies they=A0want.
The VLE that Oxford uses is called Sakai.=20
Used to support the intimate face-to-face teaching that Oxford is known=20
for, Sakai is an archive of materials for students to=A0read.=20
Said Melissa Highton, Head of Learning Technologies Group at Oxford=20
University: =93When a student goes to a lecturer=92s Sakai, they have links=
=20
to the tutor=92s lectures, researches, reading list recommendations and=20
things in the library that the tutor thinks students should look=A0at.
=93Even if they can=92t find the tutor, students still have access to al=
l the materials and=A0recommendations.
Lee said that customising a technology is not easy to do when you buy =
=93a monolithic solution=94 like=A0Blackboard.
Apart from customising, another benefit of open source is that it=20
supports open learning materials. Using Sakai means the university is=20
not tied down by a=A0license.=20
Lee said: =93If we suddenly want to open up a big area of our Sakai n class=3D"caps">VLE, we don=92t have to renegotiate a license with =
the=A0vendor.
=93In this way, we can break down international silos in education. We c=
an open up our VLE to anyone in any=A0country.=
=94
--
Regards,
Evan M. Inker
--00151749f5e88c6a01049631eae2--
