LGFL MLE - This made me soooooo angry.

[bossman]

Having seen Digital Brain and its full concept at one or two RC schools round here up t'north the feelin all round is that the software is inflexible and hard to work with. Why, because they try to make it teacher centric so the software has to be complex to make the actual content events simple for the teachers to understand how to use it. It would bwe more practical if the software engineers used children for their building of the software. This would make it both practical and teacher centric at the same time and leave us techies to get on with real work instead of scanning documents in to allow teachers free time to scout for holidays and the like on the internet.

[sahmeepee]

From the linked page at http://www.lgfl.net/lgfl/sections/learningplatform/

 

The winning concept was that staff and students should have a "digital brain". An online place where users could store their work, manage their email, check their dairy and create content.

 

I didn't realise there were so many dairy farmers in London. Still, that looks like quite a useful feature. :-k

[CyberNerd]

yeah, the entire document is packed full of spelling mistakes, typos and incorrect information - A sure sign that no thought went into it at all.

[john]

I don't do digital brains, but I do Pocket Brains (my PDA, I always call it my Pocket Brain)

[wesleyw]

@bossman: Cynical this close to the holidays?

 

I've looked at several VLEs including Capita's/Moodle/Teknical(Serco) all have good and bad points and of course two of them cost quite a bit having said that I can understand a few people reluctance to go down the moodle route because (although it does have a great support community) of the fact it's not sold as a commerical product. This has happened before with Sun's StarOffice in the 90's where they decided to start selling it cheaply so that companies would buy it same for linux as well. However I have set up Moodle here to play with and I know of a "local" College that will do support for it so if we really get into trouble support is there is a place to call. Add to that their excellent support at Moodle.org and you have a real winner shame not every LEA uses it!

 

Capita also supply Learning Gateway as well as a VLE which means you can publish the data yourself on your own server and never see it leave your control. You do need SharePoint for this though and an external connector license (Which aren't cheap) but still that would be cheaper than their VLE and it gives you more freedom.

 

Wes

[witch]

The whole document reads exactly like a sales pitch - trashing the competitors, twisting the facts to suit, making lists of extensive work needed with other systems without mentioning the work needed on their own system.

I think it is disgraceful

SWGfL had better not try it (go on, tell me they already have)

[Geoff]

I can understand a few people reluctance to go down the moodle route because (although it does have a great support community) of the fact it's not sold as a commerical product. This has happened before with Sun's StarOffice in the 90's where they decided to start selling it cheaply so that companies would buy it same for linux as well.

 

Check out Moodle.com for commercial support and services related to Moodle. In the long run, I urge everyone to do it in house. It's cheaper and more efficient.

[wesleyw]

Thanks Geoff! Didn't know they did commerical support as well!

 

Wes

[Geoff]

'They' do not. They do list third party companies who are recommended partners. There are several in the UK that offer support, hosting, web development and training if you follow the links on that site.

[ICTRambling]

OK, I've only scanned the posting and may be missing something obvious but ... are Bigital Brain on Becta's framework list?

 

The website quotes:

 

The ten framework suppliers are:

 

* Azzurri Communications Ltd

* Etech Group

* Fronter

* Netmedia Education

* Pearson Education Limited

* Ramesys

* RM Education plc

* Serco Ltd

* UniServity

* Viglen Limited

[GrumbleDook]

ONly if implemented by one of the above companies ... and the list is not static ... more compaines will be able to join at a later date as the meet whatever criteria are used.

[budgester]

I bugged my RM rep about this when he was in last week, basically saying if they offered Moodle support, I'd buy it (probably wouldn't use it, but I would buy it)

 

I suggested that they make a linux box in the same way as they do the Cache box.

 

If someone like RM joined the Moodle community I'm sure they could make a bucket load of cash out of it.

[GrumbleDook]

They already lurk there.

[Face-Man]

If you want a moodle solution in london. It is probably worth looking at synetrix (the company who think about providing your conectivity from time to time) as they have a prodct that is hosted at the core of the network and hence accessable everywhere.

 

However be warned the LGFL has just placed fronter as it prefered MLE and this is likley to be heavily pushed by LA's on to secondary schools and if you are part of BSF is being writern into contracted as the ONLY solution. This is becuase of the flexibility it offers for links into MIS sytems and the ease with which a student can be moved from one school to another. I think they may have learned from the digital brain issues and from the look of the training program on offer it may even be a sustainable solution.

 

As for who makes the decision it was a panel of 13 LA ICT inspectors and apparently it was very close with this and an M$ solution.