Joomla & VLEs

[maximise]

Hi,

 

I'm not a Joomla developer (yet) but would like to know your views on using Joomla to develop a full blown VLE, ie not only content management, but also providing on-line workspace for pupils and assessment/reporting functions.

 

If all schools according to Becta must have a VLE "with a personal online workspace" does Joomla fit the bill? And if so where is it better than Moodle?

 

I note that a number of schools are starting to use Joomla and just wonder how far it can be pushed?

 

Forgive my ignorance but I've got to start somehwere.

[SimpleSi]

Moodle is a VLE.

 

Joomla is a website tool.

 

Why use a hammer to screw a nail in

 

regards

 

Simon

 

PS - we've all done it but its not the way forward

[CyberNerd]

Moodle is a VLE.

Joomla is a website tool.

Why use a hammer to screw a nail in

 

Moodle is a course management system, but it is lacking inthe e-portfolio and social networking/groups side. Drupaled does e-portfolio/groups as do mahara and elgg although these are more fluid social networking based on learning - but could be used as e-portfolio. I don't see why joomla couldn't do that either.

 

DrupalEd | Drupal in Education.

Home | Mahara

Elgg.org

 

edit: these bolt onto moodle well, I wouln't consider using them instead of moodle

Edited May 30, 2008 by CyberNerd

[SimpleSi]

Geoff was telling me about Mahara at the conference but I didn't really understand what it was being used for - but maybe it does the personalised learning space thingy

 

I think he's got it/going to integrate it into Moodle so give him a pm if he doesn't show up here shortly

 

regards

 

Simon

Geoff/Ric - you did make it home OK ?

[CyberNerd]

We've been looking into mahara drupaled and elgg for deployment next year.

So far mahara wins on usability over elgg. Both Mahara and elgg are social networing tools - they are much more like bebo for schools than traditional course managment systems. They are very fluid and allow both teachers and students to create their own social learning groups. They can be used as e-portfolios.

 

Drupaled is more rigid than elgg/mahara, but less rigid than moodle. I think it sits somewhere between the two. Drupal is very flexible though because their are so many modules already developed for it (a colleague has been working on installing flashvideo module that essentially turns it into youtube! ). Drupaled allows teachers to create and control the groupings quite easily whereas our moodle setup imports directly from SIMS - and courses are set up by teaching groups or metacourses comprised of the dynamically created teaching groups.