e-Literate

Present is Prologue

Author: Michael Feldstein

  • The Portal is the Platform, Part I

    This post is part of a series on the concept of a Learning Management Operating System.

    In my last few posts, I argued that accommodating niche learning applications is an important part of the next wave of LMS design, pointed to Google Maps as an example of a niche application that’s designed to be easily integratable, and pointed to Apple Dashboard as an example of a framework for integrating niche applications. Now I’d like dispense with the analogy and talk about the correct foundation for an LMOS integration framework: the portal. (more…)

  • The Other Side of the Integration Equation

    This post is part of a series on the concept of a Learning Management Operating System.

    In the previous post, I used Google Maps as an example of an application that is built from the ground up for integration and how that can fuel rapid innovation. But in some respects, Google Maps is a bad example for an LMOS. It’s a tool, and a data provider, but not a framework for pulling tools, the way a Learning Management Operating System would be. We need another example for that. So let’s take a look at Apple’s Dashboard technology. (more…)

  • More About Designing for the Long Tail

    In my last entry, I wrote:

    We need a system that is optimized toward slotting in new pieces as they become available, not as an after-thought or an add-on, but as a fundamental characteristic of the system.

    That sounds cool and all in the abstract, but what does it mean? What is missing in today’s LMS’s, which all claim to be extensible and standards-compliant? To get an idea of what can happen with a system that is truly designed to integrate with other applications, let’s consider the case of Google Maps. (more…)

  • The Long Tail of Learning Applications

    Not too long ago, I introduced the notion of a Learning Management Operating System, or LMOS. I’m going to be blogging about this concept quite a bit in the coming days and weeks, so I have created a theme heading for it on my blog. My first few posts on the topic will focus on the motivation behind the concept, starting with the need to address the long tail of teaching and learning applications. (more…)

  • Sakai Developers Speak Out

    Since I don’t have RSS feeds for comments, I would like to point out to e-Literate subscribers that several members of the Sakai development team have commented on my earlier initial review of Sakai 2.0. I would like to thank them for their outreach efforts and invite you to check out their thoughtful responses.

  • Now, That's What I'm Talkin' 'bout!

    An excerpt from Sakai’s press release regarding a demonstration of the IMS Tool Interoperability (TI) standard:

    The demonstration included four LMS systems including BlackBoard, WebCT, Sakai, and Moodle. The demonstration included three applications: Concept Tutor, Samigo(Sakai), and QuestionMark. All LMS/Application combinations worked and were demonstrated at the meeting which validates the interoperability of the IMS TI specification.

    The demonstration was the culmination of nine months of significant co-design and engineering between all of the participants.

    Now that the interoperability demonstration is complete, the standard is expected to be published Fall 2005. As long as the standard is finalized in time, we expect that this feature will be present in the Sakai 2.1 release in the Fall 2005.

    (more…)

  • First Impression of Sakai 2.0: Better Than I Expected

    Given that Sakai 1.5 was a feature-impoverished, unusable wreck, I fully expected 2.0 to be unusable as well. After spending half a day with it, I think it’s safe to say that I was wrong. While 2.0 is certainly not nearly as mature as other FOSS LMS’s such as dotLRN and Moodle, I think it may just be roughly competitive with entry-level Blackboard or WebCT Campus Edition. That’s an impressive leap to make in 6 months. (more…)