Becta, Microsoft, Open Source and Learning Platforms
An article on ZDNet with Stephen Lucey (Becta’s executive director of strategic technologies) is worth a read. Good advice for Vista and Office 2007.
I am glad that Stephen defined a learning platform in the following way:
A learning platform is a range of products, so we were looking for the ability of a supplier to be able to pull together a solution. It was product-agnostic. Suppliers need a range of skills to offer support over a period of time. Some suppliers came forward with open source as part of their offering. Those [10] were the suppliers who met the criteria. Those who weren’t awarded didn’t meet the criteria.
However, many of the products on the list are not ‘a range of products’ –they support the notion of a learning platform being one monolithic thing that ticks all the boxes. I think it is better to work with schools in understanding that the way in which they configure their VLEs, MIS systems and internal self-review, reporting and assessment-for-learning processes all form the platform. However, it is also good that he acknowledges the need for support over time. I.e. this is not something that is bought off-the-shelf and plugged in.
Link
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,3928…