Moodle and Assessment Manager/Sims

[CyberNerd]

What have I started?

 

A healthy debate by the looks of it

 

I say you should got for it anyway, release it as OSS then let Capita worry about who to sue - if they even can. Its not like they're gonna know that your reading your own database! Its for personnal use - honest guv.

[webman]

"Educational purposes only and must be deleted within 24 hours"

[GrumbleDook]

I don't see how that VLE requirement can ever be satistfied in the current climate other than by a completely OSS MIS/VLE system. There's simply no incentive for comercial companies to co-operate with each other (let alone OSS like Moodle) and plenty of profit related reasons to resist furiously.

 

You have spotted the cunning plan of BECTa and DfES then.

 

A specification is made saying the VLEs must be able to talk to MIS and in a specified format.

 

So VLEs / Learning Platforms have to be adapted ... but so do MIS .. or they have to tell people how to do it.

 

Welcome to stage one of the inevitable standoff between VLE producers and MIS producers.

 

One option is that information is available in a format written by the MIS manufacturers. Capita are building Web Parts that will slot into Sharepoint (both portal and services) and there is nothing stopping other VLE producers to access these.

 

Web Parts are due to be included in the existing licences for SIMS and not dependant on your purchasing a particular learning Platform.

 

CMIS will also have Web Parts but these are running late.

 

Please note that this is all through conversation and with nothing in writing (conversations with MIS and VLE producers).

[Geoff]

Capita are building Web Parts that will slot into Sharepoint (both portal and services) and there is nothing stopping other VLE producers to access these.

 

Well that shafts Moodle. Those Sharepoint API's are patent encumbered. There's no way an OSS can support them without risking legal action by Microsoft.

[GrumbleDook]

The APIs that rely on data interchange between MIS and Learning Platform *have* to be published.

 

This is the sticking point ... where does the responsibility lie for publishing the APIs that are part of the data interchange between MIS and VLE?

 

With the VLE producer or the MIS producer?

 

Part of me says the MIS producer as they cannot be seen to be anti-competetive and forcing people to use a particular VLE to work with their MIS. If this is the case then there isn't an issue as it forces MIS producers to be open.

 

This is the big target ... if people can understand that it is not a question of whether this VLE or that VLE will talk to the MIS ... it is who the MIS producers will allow access to. Pressure needs to be put on MIS producers to do this.

[TechMonkey]

Capita are building Web Parts that will slot into Sharepoint (both portal and services) and there is nothing stopping other VLE producers to access these.

 

Well that shafts Moodle. Those Sharepoint API's are patent encumbered. There's no way an OSS can support them without risking legal action by Microsoft.

 

I spoke to a Capita bod atone of our county meetings and he said that they had put out the offer to create these Web Parts for any VLE that wanted them if they were to give them the information and only 2 have taken this up. Now he didn't say if they were charging, or what information they would need, but all I can suggest is that if someone has links with the Moodle team, get them to contact Capita and find out what is needed.

[Geoff]

Well they'd have to be willing the license that 'glue code' under the GPL. I'm willing to bet that:

 

a) Capita's lawyers will run away screaming.

b) There'll be something in the MS licensing for the Sharepoint API's to prevent anything produced being compatible with the GPL.

[MkII]

I think what will have to happen is a comercial arm of Moodle be set up to provide this bit for schools - so that they could recoup the costs of licencing.

[skunk]

Here in Cumbria our RBC (CLEO) have committed to providing moodle with integration to MIS systems. I don't know how they plan to go about this but they probably have the financial clout to think about licencing and producing a module for moodle/SIMS integration.

 

I know, I know, I am an optimist, but we shall see how that all goes anyway.

 

skunk