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Edugeek Award for Competent Program Design?

SYNACK

By SYNACK
in Educational Software

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SYNACK

SYNACK

Posted
Posted

I just had a thought, sites like download.com and such have an award (approval really) for software that is virus and spyware free. Given the usual 'high' quality of educational software I thought that it might be a good idea to reward those that do the job right. This in addition of course to slating the ones that do it wrong.

 

Perhaps Edugeek could have a list of education software that is done right along with one of those little approved by icons. This may encourage some software makers to clean up their act and provide things like:

 

  • MSI installers that work with AD
  • that do not try to write to everwhere on the system drive for fun
  • that can be configured by Group policy
  • that do not require a bank of Cray 5s to run
  • that save files in the my documents folder
  • that don't require quicktime 2 to run

 

This would also reward those that already do this and possibly bring more people to the site.

 

What does everybody think and do you know of any software that is already deserving?

TechMonkey

TechMonkey

Posted
Posted

Sounds like a good idea to me. At least if it is used I know where to come and yell if it doesn't work ;)

 

Can also really annoy publishers by asking "Is it EduGeek certified? No? Ohhh sorry, bye."

pete

pete

Posted
Posted (edited)

Criteria should include packaging quality - i.e. cds with stuck on labels that are already lifting.

Proper Support - not an aol email address.

Must have been tested on a modern OS - no Windows 3.11/95/98 compatability stickers.

Tech support must have a clue - if I have to tell you why your software is misbehaving and tell you how to provide the fix, you've failed.

Must be able to overwrite a file of the same name on a networked drive. I'm looking at you Techsoft.

Evaluation copies available.

Ease of deployment and upgrades.

Site or concurrent use licenses should be available.

Should not require admin rights.

Documentation should mention dependencies - i.e commonly (in schools) disabled components, don't make me find out later.

Decent documentation should exist.

 

Ooh - bagsy on naming the Wooden Spoon prize. "The $crapsoftware prize for Disservice to Education".

Edited by pete
extra stuff
SYNACK

SYNACK

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

There could be a three star system or something:

 

1 Star:

deploys with MSI through AD

Uninstalls properly from deploy

Saves stuff to My Documents

No security tweaks needed

Manageable liscencing one code once on the MSI deploy

registers all necessary Dlls

 

2 Stars:

Above and includes dependencies in the MSI

runs on slower hardware without 2GB of RAM

Upgradeable by MSP through GP

Good support documentation

Good packaging

 

3 Stars:

Configurable with group policy

Downloadable installer for when the disk has been lost

 

 

etc. Possibly.

Edited by SYNACK
Included more information
GrumbleDook

GrumbleDook

Posted
Posted

Ok ... looking at some criteria

 

* MSI installers that work with AD

This would need to be tested on 5 different vanilla systems, at least 3 CC3 systems, 2 classlink and 2 'other' systems. I think that would be a reasonable start for 'minimum requirements'

* that do not try to write to everwhere on the system drive for fun

 

I think a full list of files and a listing of files that are placed in anywhere other than ~/program files/ would be the best option ... including required permissions for those files so that the program can run.

* that can be configured by Group policy

Clear instructions on the editing of config files or the creation of transform files.

* that do not require a bank of Cray 5s to run

It is difficult to start detailing the computer specs ... some schools may run the software on a machine capable of using the software or running the services, but if you are also running VMware with 3 virtual machines on there, a botched install of IIS / MS-SQL, etc ... then it will still run like a pig. Better to have a 'minimum requirements' and suggested requirements ... where the suggested requirements means that it will also run at the same time as 3 office documents, 5 separate browser windows, a high level AV solution (ie a memory hungry one) and a connection to a server based product (having SIMS open would be a good example)

* that save files in the my documents folder

 

I would personally prefer that you can specify which is the default save folder ... this allows for those that want to specify saving to an alternative location (networks share by either UNC or mounted drive letter).

 

* that don't require quicktime 2 to run

 

I think at this point we might need to create a document with a standard desktop build in it. This could specify what the 'minimum' specification would be for software to be installed on a machine. This would be a base-line, not a limiting specification.

 

How's that for a few ideas? Feel free to expand.

SYNACK

SYNACK

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

 

I would personally prefer that you can specify which is the default save folder ... this allows for those that want to specify saving to an alternative location (networks share by either UNC or mounted drive letter).

 

I think at this point we might need to create a document with a standard desktop build in it. This could specify what the 'minimum' specification would be for software to be installed on a machine. This would be a base-line, not a limiting specification.

 

How's that for a few ideas? Feel free to expand.

 

My bad, the My Documents location item was a minimum requirement, we redirect our MyDocs to a UNC so that would be sufficient as a base level however as you say having it fully configurable would be much better

 

I think regarding the plug in stuff the criteria could be that it does not require a certain version of something like quick time that is out of date to run. The best implementations would be mostly version independent other than a minimum version to run it. We should not have to limit the plug in version to allow the software to run.

 

And for software that stores its config in the registry I think ADM files would be quite a nice gesture from the software companies involved. This is of course a high level criteria for like an A+ or something though. :)

 

Nomination:

There is an application that would probably meet most of the minor requirements mostly as it is quite a simple app that we use at one of my primary schools. PivotStick Animator its free and getting the fully deployable MSI out is just a case of running the installer and copying out the MSI and CAB from the temp directory. Runs fine without admin rights and even saves to the My Documents location be default.

 

This is the only educational software that I don't need to repackage, well this and Photostory.

Edited by SYNACK
Addition of Nomination
HodgeHi

HodgeHi

Posted
Posted

Cross-platform versions.

 

The smart learning is a good example of this. I have the server-side running on the AD and the client installation on both the XP and OS X side connecting to it. Works really well.

MkII

MkII

Posted
Posted

It'd be good to have a voting system on the key criteria and then a rating: 1 to 6 perhaps in a list of applications.

 

Great idea though. May prompt companies to improve to win that Edugeek gold standard, and those with very low ratings to at least try to improve in what WE feel are their key weaknesses.

TechMonkey

TechMonkey

Posted
Posted
Could also be nice to have levels as someone else mentioned from the point of view that it may not have somethings but that is acceptable to some people. So a bronze, silver, gold type level.
tom_newton

tom_newton

Posted
Posted

How about a simple voting system?

 

Someone nominates a product, and you need x "Yes" and less than y "No" votes - people will vote "No" if it is missing many of the features they requre in that particular product. Strikes me that you guys use so many different types of product, a set list of criteria would never fly.

 

Evilly commercial idea: Companies would have to opt-in, there would then be a thread created in the "Edugeek Certified" forum and the forum decide on a yes/no. This costs the company £x donation towards edugeek running costs - non-refundable even if they don't get it.

 

Process is *totally* transparent, so you cant be accused of favouritism toward advertisers, for example, and anyone anting to know about the award can read the archived thread.

 

Edit: should be free for Open Source products.

tom_newton

tom_newton

Posted
Posted
... except commerically-available and paid-for versions of open-source products course ;)

 

Indeed - was looking for a loophole for others rather than one for ourselves ;)

sahmeepee

sahmeepee

Posted
Posted

Other criteria I would like added:

 

Doesn't require software to be running on the server, be it for licensing, saving progress or whatever. (goodbye heinneman)

Doesn't require a pesky dongle in the server (i'm looking at you solidworks)

Doesn't have some daft non-perpetual license - why would I want to "subscribe" to a CD of powerpoints.

Has more than 1 paragraph of text per GB of pointless 3d video/animation/video of an animation (die Birchfield RS software! die! die! Die!) i.e. some educational value.

 

...and breathe!

 

I would like to nominate the "Focus on..." range of technology software. Easy to install and share out, amazingly lightweight 3d simulations/demos, reasonable price, lots of educational content in there.

russdev

russdev

Posted
Posted
My biggest issue with simple voting system is companies trying to fix the results hmmmm going to have think but like idea think just got to get few final details sorted.
CyberNerd

CyberNerd

Posted
Posted

I think some of you have some really strange ideas about what is easy to deploy.

My ideal application deployment is like this:

 

1) copy to webserver (SCORM/Flash/jboss/whatever)

2) copy link to start menu

3) get coffee

 

no msi's,exe's,rpms,debs. no mucking around 'upgrading' operating systems when all I need to upgrade is the virtualmachine. and certainly no damn 'next next finish dance'.

sahmeepee

sahmeepee

Posted
Posted
My biggest issue with simple voting system is companies trying to fix the results hmmmm going to have think but like idea think just got to get few final details sorted.

 

Perhaps you could limit voting to people with over a certain number of posts and/or people whose account was created at least X months ago.

Dos_Box

Dos_Box

Posted
Posted

My vote would be for Black Cat Supertools. Why on Earth did someone create an installer which asks you which modules you wish to install then proceeds to make you install them all manually anyway!

Better than the last version though that did the smae but when you install it over a network it would fall over at the last minute becasue it was still utilising a 16 bit installer buried deep down. Grrrrr.

daveyboy

daveyboy

Posted
Posted

Been a while since I supported primary schools... but my vote goes to 2Simple software. Easy install, great tech support, and genuinely nice people.:D

 

Nelson Thornes........**something short and unprintable** :mad:

contink

contink

Posted
Posted

Just a thought but slightly controversial... Dump the "awards" idea and put together a Technical information and reviews database on software that incorporates some of the points already mentioned (membership for X months, X posts minimum, etc..).

 

The technical information would provide the factual (non-disputed) intel eg:

- installation methods available (MSI, CC3 only?, command line, etc..)

- support information (website, phone, etc..)

- licensing options

 

Then the review system provides members to actually give their comment on just how well it works:

- ease of installation

- pricing

- ease of use for end users

- general comments

- etc...

 

 

Awards are frankly little tick boxes that mean absolutely nothing unless they are backed up with information and if something like the above was implemented (and yes I would be a bit of work) it would provide all the transparency you'd need as to how an overall "score" was achieved as well as being actually useful to us :)

 

Just my opinion...

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