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• Install and update Moodle on multiple platforms;
• Work with a large number of users with bulk operations, cohort synchronisation and advanced user management;
• Configure Moodle for accessibility and localisation, and customise your module and gradebook settings;
• Interpret and analyse user activity, track statistics using inbuilt monitoring and third-party tools;
• Extend Moodle with third-party add-ons;
• Build a network of Moodle and Mahara systems and integrate Moodle with external applications via web services;
• Improve your learners experience by supporting mobile devices.

Alfresco

Alfresco runs on an open source stack and includes document management, web content management, records management and collaboration tools. The Alfresco Community version is supported via its developer forums. The software needs to be installed and configured on a web server.

Big Blue Button

BigBlueButton is an open source web conferencing system that runs on Mac, Linux and Windows. It is perfect for remote learning, online training and web meetings. Features include web cam, presentation, integrated VoIP, desktop sharing, whiteboard, record and playback. The software needs to be installed and configured on a web server.

eXe

eXe is an open source authoring tool that assists educators, content developers and instructional designers to publish web content. eXe authored resources can be exported in IMS Content Package, SCORM 1.2, or IMS Common Cartridge formats or as simple self-contained web pages. The software is downloaded and installed directly on your computer.

Google Docs

Google Docs allows for the creation of  online files which can be accessed by another desktop computer, laptop, table or smart phone anytime. Allows for creation, access, sharing and collaboration on documents, spreadsheets, presentations and forms. The software is cloud-based, no download or installation required.

Jing

Jing is a screen capture tool. It is ideal for creating video screencast, tutorials and demonstrations. The videos can be instantly shared on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. There is a free version for Mac and Windows users.  The software is downloaded, installed and used directly on your computer.

Mail Chimp

MailChimp is an email marketing tool that helps you manage newsletter campaigns, mailing lists and track results. It is free to have up to 2,000 subscribers and send up to 12,000 emails per month. The software is cloud-based, no download or installation required.

Mockups

Mockups is an interface design program for quickly creating low-tech wireframes, prototypes and mockups. It is great for application design, usability testing and demonstrations. It is fully cross-platform for Mac, Windows and Linux. There is a free 7-day trial. The software is downloaded, installed and used directly on your computer.

Open Office

OpenOffice.org is the leading free open source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. Under the LGPL licence, it may be used for any purpose – domestic, commercial, educational, public administration.  The software is downloaded, installed and used directly on your computer.

Sugar CRM

Sugar is a customer relationship management solution. It is designed to help your organisation communication prospects, share sales information, close deals and keep customers happy. The Community Edition is open source and freely available. The software needs to be installed and configured on a web server, however, there is also a commercial cloud-based version.

Survey Monkey

SurveyMonkey is a tool for designing online surveys to collect and analyse user feedback. The free version of Survey Monkey allows up to 10 questions and a 100 responses. This represents a cheap survey solution for the whole organisation. The software is cloud-based, no download or installation required.

WordPress

WordPress is an open source content management system for creating amazing blogs and websites. It includes custom templates, integrated statistics and automatic spam filtering. The software needs to be installed and configured on a web server.

Zen Desk

Zendesk is a web-based support system that can be used to support your clients, staff or end users. Features include tickets, triggers, automations, forums, satisfaction ratings, and custom branding. There are also some nice integrations and a mobile app for agents. There is a free-trial, however, there is a monthly fee if you decide to continue beyond the trial period. The software is cloud-based, no download or installation required.

• Content development
• Course design and development
• Authoring and multimedia development tools
• Course maintenance
• Infrastructure – Learning Management System
• Staffing and management
• IT support
• Professional development to keep up with tools and technologies

Top tips from respondents on how to reduce costs and improve results for course development included:

1. Good software offer better tools, support and value for money

2. Shorten courses to include only essentials

3. Use screencasts

4. Develop content once, use many times

5. Combine technologies – blend learning

6. Mobile content for mobile staff

7. Let learners create learning content

Reference: Shank, P. (2011) The eLearning Guild’s 75 Tips to Reduce eLearning Costs.

In terms of how this translates into cost, when an organisation purchases proprietary software, it pays twice. Firstly, for the licence which grants the user the right to use the software and secondly for compulsory support services. These are often structured on a per user basis, and renewed annually. Due to commercial software being copyrighted, the software licensing can be viewed as a form of rent for the intellectual property encapsulated within the software. In the open source model, there is usually no corresponding mechanism to receive rent for intellectual property.

For commercial software, there is typically a support agreement which is often mandatory to validate the licence. The support agreement will include service levels, and some important business assurances that you will be supported if and when problems are encountered.

In contrast, there are no licence fees to pay for open source software and subscription agreements are not mandatory. Subscription agreements are most often compared to the proprietary support agreement. An open source subscription offers code support and maintenance, security updates, error correction, and patch updates. Where it differs from a proprietary support agreement is that it includes new features and new version releases. In the proprietary model, new features are only available if license fees are paid. In either case, it is worth purchasing support as this delivers transparent business value.

Open source subscriptions offer much more than simple proprietary support agreements, and in theory, open source subscriptions should be more expensive than their proprietary equivalents on the basis that they deliver the functionality as well as the extra value of the inherent flexibility and freedom that open source offers.

It is perfect logic although the reality is that open source subscriptions tend to be much cheaper than their proprietary equivalents and this may be due to the comparatively wider mix of for-payment, and not-for-payment inputs in many open source projects. As an example, Totara is a corporate distribution of Moodle, and therefore the sunk costs of developing Moodle are not reflected in a Totara subscription, only the specific costs associated with developing and supporting the Totara extensions.

Your compliance training is not just about meeting legal and regulatory requirements, it is often critically important for personal safety. Totara will help you manage your compliance programmes.

Assessment setup

• Create multiple question banks for use within a topic, single course, course category or for site-wide use.
• Generate assessments using one or more question banks, with randomisation if you wish.
• Set course completion on assessment completion or score, or any other activity such as e-learning or classroom session.
• Import SCORM assessments created using authoring tools such as Quizmaker.

Records and evidence

• Report on individual questions, user scores and provide automated feedback.
• Track completion of individual activities such as e-learning, classroom sessions and assessments.
• Track completion of courses where pre-determine completion criteria have been met.
• When appropriate, manually grade submitted activities and use free-text responses.
• Maintain current and historical records of active and completed learning for all employees.
• Run in-depth reporting on which personnel have passed, completed or not completed assessments and compliance training.

Contact us to discuss your requirement, view a demonstration or request a quote.

• Advanced grading methods – such as rubrics and other multi-criteria assessment forms to assess not only the workshop module, but also, for example, assignments, forums, wikis and databases;
• IMS Learning Tools Interoperability;
• MyMobile theme – has been added to the list of standard core themes. The theme has been customised and optimised for smart phone and tablet users and does not require the installation of an app on said devices. The theme can be set by an administrator as the primary or mobile theme for a Moodle site;
• Improved SCORM reporting – this includes a new interactions report;
• Gravatar integration – gravatar is an external web service that allows users to setup an avatar which can be used on many sites.