[Moodle] Learning Management: managing learning? managing students?

[Laurie Savage]

Hi Donna,

I've done a lot of field testing of School Tool this year but find it very
hard to maintain across semesters and courses (Six classes x 25 students x 2
semesters). The database corrupts quite easily; the import from Excel system
is cumbersome, the data need to be formatted in a very specific fashion;
and, the reporting system is very poor. I quite like it as a single teacher
roll keeping and markbook system but it has a long way to go before any
larger institution could use it. 

I think if you look at its genesis it reflects the needs and experience of a
very specific teaching group and regime. The support team are fantastic and
have responded to various requests and suggestion I've made on their for a
but I think that, like a lot of USA based Ed. Software I've tried, it is
very specific and limited in its application. 

I can't see us ditching Markbook or First Class any time soon.

Laurie
PVGC

-----Original Message-----
From: moodle-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:moodle-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Donna Benjamin
Sent: Monday, 9 November 2009 11:39 AM
To: The Moodle Users' in Schools Mailing List
Subject: [Moodle] Learning Management: managing learning? managing students?

Donald raised an interesting question in saying...

"Ultranet is designed from an administrative perspective and try to
include Learning Management module. Whereas Moodle is designed from a
Learning Management perspective and try to include any administrative
modules."

Something similar crossed my mind as I reviewed some of the info out
there on Ultranet and L360. So we all know and love Moodle... but what
about the admin?

Here are some open source tools - I've got zero hands on experience with
any of them... but perhaps some of you:  
 - have heard about, 
 - already evaluated, 
 - want to explore 
other open source school admin software options? :)

http://schooltool.org/
SchoolTool is a suite of free administrative software for schools.

http://richtech.ca/openadmin/
Open Admin for Schools is a School Administration Program. 

http://opensis.com/
OPEN SOURCE STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

What other open source tools are there for managing school information
such as... 
  - attendance
  - student reports
  - school funding and finances
  - school sports results
  - parents association
  - timetabling
  - professional learning
  - library information
  - website
  - other critical tasks?

It doesn't have to do everything... Remember the unix approach is to
have small tools that do one thing and do it very very well - hence the
importance of open standards so those tools can connect / integrate /
exhange data when necessary.

I've heard of proprietary attendance and reporting tools such as First
Class and Markbook... 

What tools do you use?

-- 
Donna Benjamin - Executive Director
Creative Contingencies - http://cc.com.au
ph +61 3 9326 9985 - mob +61 418 310 414
open source - facilitation - web services

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