On 3/14/2011 3:14 PM, Phil Hughes wrote:
Thanks for your response. I have found a few more interesting things. It
does inspire a couple of additions to my requirements.
* OpenSource -- I probably should have said that before but just assumed
that was what we talked about here. :-) Also, clearly, it has to run on a
Linux-based server.
This is not a problem.
* The other thing is a bit more obscure. A lot of the offline learning
discussion seems to be about having a computer but not an Internet
connection. First, for the most part, an Internet connection seems pretty
optional much of the time. If, for example, a school had the system running
locally on their server, students could work there. In the environment I am
talking about, a student is more likely to have no computer at all. That may
mean, for example, that a lesson would include a printed document that the
student would take home to work with. They would then complete the lesson a
computer by taking an exam.
Then I would say, that in the environment you're talking about, that's
not "e" learning. If this is the situation you're faced with, I don't
get what good an online LMS would be for you.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're really after?
Is the situation that the school would be hooked up online and would use
the LMS, but would print out lessons from that and give it to the
student to take home if said student didn't have a computer?
I recognize this is not ideal (and would like to use radio programs to
augment this) but, for now, it is reality for many students. I do see that
if the more connected version of the overall plan could be proven, it would
be a lot easier to get funding for student computers.
Radio programs?
Ok, so if this is a fair summarization of the requirements:
1. Needs to be OSS
2. Needs to run on Linux
3. Needs to support Spanish
4. Needs to work online, as well as offline to compliment face to face
learning
Then you might want to take a look at Moodle. I think it meets all
you're requirements, plus it's well documented and has a HUGE
international user base/community, which should be an added benefit.
http://moodle.org/about/
Sorry to diverge off topic, but meanwhile, the OLPC - one laptop per
child program could be a direction that is pursued to help get Nica's
better access to computers.
http://www.olpcnews.com/
Also, these guys are specifically involved with OLPC for Nicaragua:
http://www.fundacionzt.org/fzt/index.htm
To answer the question about Nicaragua, yes, all is well here. Living on a
265 acre chunk of land in a pine forest. The main way it differers from
areas near Seattle is that the weather is close to ideal all the time.
Wow. Glad to hear all is well. Is this near Esteli?
Regards,
Chris
