Glen, There are neat ideas underpinning the NIXTY platform.
Are you planning to open source the NIXTY code? You are using a python engine so this should not be too hard. If the value proposition you propose has benefit -- then I think institutions could consider this as a serious contender on a user pay basis. The pricing model as it stands will not scale imho. Your model is loading a 20% overhead on institutions who aim to serve OER learners. While we may not be able to provide all the features NIXTY provides -- the OER Foundation can implement a solution for a fraction of the comparable cost. So why would institutions consider NIXTY from a cost perspective?. Existing technology deployments are already sunken cost and we can do what we aim to do with existing infrastructure. As you know, the OER Foundation will not support or endorse non-free software for infrastructure components of the model. The risks of enclosure are too high for a global open education initiative. On Sat, Nov 19, 2011 at 6:07 AM, Glen Moriarty <[email protected]>wrote: > Hi Simon, Wayne, and Others, > > We created NIXTY with this type of federated model in mind. It is SaaS and > there is no cost. I'll write more below about the business > model/sustainability. Please forgive the length of this post, there is just > a lot to share and I know that a few of you will have questions, so I'm > trying to be comprehensive here. > > The idea is that the platform provides a number of advantages over an > isolated, institution based LMS. Here are a few of the advantages: > > -Complete solution for OERu Institutions - Channel, Courses, Assessments, > Payments, and Certificates. Doesn't mess with internal reporting of > institution's own LMS and SIS. > > -Persistent student data - students have an identity outside of the > institution's LMS, so that they can take courses across universities and > can continue to exist once they graduate (i.e., they are not deleted to > save money on cutting 'seats). > > -Facilitates collaboration across universities - Faculty and students can > work with one another across institutions because they are not silo'd off > in an isolated LMS. > > -Enables easy reuse and remixing of content - courses can easily be cloned > over across universities. We have an open course cloud in place and we > could easily add the OERu courses so that they could be cloned over and > adopted to each university. > > -Enhanced Learning Analytics - Member institutions could opt to share data > on learning outcomes across the courses to iterate on the content. > > There are several other advantages as well, but those the primary > advantages to a shared network approach. Here a few helpful links that > illustrate the platform: > > Test Account - www.nixty.com - Login at top right - username: OERu > Password: tester > > Channel - each institution can create their own channel, which consists of > a branded space with logos, an about area, courses, and instructors. You > can see an example from Teachers Without Borders here: > www.nixty.com/c/twb > > Courses - Your typical LMS course capability - > http://nixty.com/course/Introduction-to-NIXTY ; here is an example of one > of MIT's OCW Lesson Tool: > http://nixty.com/lessons/lessonStudentLessonItem?course_id=1042&lesson_id=48 > > ePortfolio - includes CV in line browser doc display, work > display/examples, recommendations, comments/posts etc. - > http://nixty.com/eportfolio/fredmed1 > > Regarding our history, business model, and code. We launched last year and > have focused explicitly on supporting open education. We've worked with the > OCW Consortium, Teachers Without Borders, and other NGOs. We didn't want to > make this a non-profit, because we didn't want to be dependent upon grant > funding, so we needed to come up with a sustainable business model. The > service is free. We will charge people 20% if they charge others. e.g., you > create a course for $100, then we'll charge you $20. Additionally, we'll > eventually roll out more sophisticated services (SIS integration, LDAP etc. > that will cost a bit more, but still be wildly less expensive than current > LMS models). Finally, code - NIXTY is written in Python. It is built to > scale and the architecture is based on the federated model Wayne and Simon > have discussed. At present, we are not open source. We started a > conversation with Wayne and others about establishing whether or not the > entire system needs to be open source or just "key elements". Once we > identify the key elements we will immediately move towards open sourcing > those pieces. We haven't yet, b/c of resource limitations and the need to > get other features rolled out first. For example, in the next few weeks > we'll be releasing IMS common cartridge support via EduCommons integration, > Portuguese support (right now we have Spanish and English), payments etc. > > Simon, I'll ping you separately as it seems you've done a lot of thinking > around this and it'd be great to talk more. I'd also welcome the > opportunity to connect with others who are interested in solving these > problems. > > Thanks, > Glen > > On Fri, Nov 18, 2011 at 1:55 AM, Wayne Mackintosh < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> Hi Simon, >> >> During our 2012 prototype phase we aim to keep things simple, doable and >> within our means to achieve a successful outcome. >> >> We're not intending to host a networked LMS instance under one domain for >> the protoypes, but rather to provide easy ways to integrate OERu learning >> resource which we can deliver to any LMS from WikiEducator with a few >> clever javascript implementations to remove redundant wiki navigation for >> the target delivery technology. >> >> As a small educational charity -- we do not have the financial resources >> to consider enterprise scale federation solutions at this time. Moreover, >> the OER Foundation will not use non-free software solutions we host as a >> matter of policy. We respect the freedoms of learners and anchor partners >> to use the technologies of their choice which is why we are using the >> current approach for the prototypes which need to be up and running in >> 2012. >> >> I hope other networks with advanced knowledge and capacity to design, >> develop and provide support for federated solutions you are talking about >> will take the lead and address the gaps the OER Foundation is >> not equipped to tackle. This is one of the reasons we conduct all our >> meetings transparently -- others can see what we are doing and where they >> can fit in to add value to the OERu network. >> >> The OERu is a large, complex and ambitious international project. The OER >> Foundation is very focused on what our role is within the network and we >> will avoid the temptations of mission drift. >> >> Message: Bring your partners to the table to provide these solutions. The >> OERF does not have the capacity to do this. >> >> >> >> >> >> On Fri, Nov 18, 2011 at 7:30 PM, simonfj <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> I'd like to focus on this one by Jim at USQ. >>> >>> What about the cost of existing institutional licensing agreements with >>> (i)the vendors of LMS software and (ii) publishers who provide access to >>> e-library resources, including full text e-content? These financial >>> agreements are usually a function of the number of "seats" which are >>> provided *only* for an agreed number of officially registered >>> mainstream students >>> >>> *"The suggested solution to these potentially problematic issues is to >>> offer OERu courses (based solely on OER and embracing the pedagogy of >>> discovery) via Moodle on WikiEducator thereby avoiding financial and >>> administrative system interface complexities". >>> * >>> Statement: One primary role for OERu in all of this is that it becomes a >>> "services provider/broker" to various Access federations. >>> >>> Hosting a Moodle on the Wikieducator *domain* is a logical approach, >>> just as it does a wiki at the moment. Other open source applications would >>> naturally follow (depending on the communities' wants). >>> >>> We can see the usual (institutional- centric) approach as SUNY begins to >>> outsource its Moodle needs to MoodleRooms, as a host, in a cloud. This >>> institutional centric approach is something aggregators like bccampus >>> already aim to overcome by brokering, on behalf of a number of >>> institutions, relationships with commercial service providers like Adobe, >>> Elluminate as well as hosting opensource "apps" like Moodle. >>> http://www.bccampus.ca/partnerships/ >>> >>> I've been suggesting that one of OERu's role is to act as the broker >>> between National "access federations" like the aaf as well as other smaller >>> (state wide) ones like bccampus. USQ, for example, is already a member of >>> the ANZ federation. http://www.aaf.edu.au/subscribe/subscribers/ They >>> share access to a range of *catalogu*ed services with other >>> institutional subscribers. I can't see any reason why wikieducator/OERu >>> services wouldn't be hosted in the aaf cloud, and could be spread from >>> there. >>> >>> National Access Federations all share one primary focus = to enable * >>> National* institutions to share "services=apps". They all do this on an >>> uncoordinated (between federations) basis already. So each national >>> federation has their separate list of service providers. >>> https://refeds.terena.org/index.php/Federations >>> >>> At present Access federations are attempting to work though how they >>> share services (i.e. ConFederate) on a global basis. The focus for these >>> activities always comes down to focussing on a "Virtual Organisation", of >>> which OERu is one of the few global ones. OERu is the only I've seen that >>> works in the "common services" space (moodles wikis, etc). Most others are >>> based around large specialised research production networks like the Hadron >>> Collider. >>> >>> So, as I see it, one of OERu's roles in developing an International >>> network is being the entity which aggregates a range of "services" under >>> the one domain, which will be common to all access federations; An "honest >>> broker" if you will. The main services (in such a platform) will be the >>> kind that will support these governance meetings. >>> >>> WE have seen during this open meeting that there "is there a model where >>> students get some recognition that is perhaps skills / outcomes based that >>> is not as bound by governance and accreditation" (as mentioned by SNHU, >>> even if their names haven't been mentioned so far:). It's based on, not >>> only capturing/distributing these open governance meetings on a(n >>> increasingly) professional basis, but also working through the >>> development/Confederation of (open access) platforms, which will include >>> other institutions. (if for no other reason than it saves duplication and >>> money) >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "WikiEducator" group. >>> To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org >>> To visit the discussion forum: >>> http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >>> >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> [email protected] >> >> >> >> >> -- >> Wayne Mackintosh <http://wikieducator.org/User:Mackiwg>, Ph.D. >> Director OER Foundation <http://www.oerfoundation.org> >> Director, International Centre for Open Education, >> Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. >> Founder and elected Community Council Member, >> WikiEducator<http://www.wikieducator.org> >> Mobile +64 21 2436 380 >> Skype: WGMNZ1 >> Twitter <http://twitter.com/#%21/Mackiwg> | >> identi.ca<http://identi.ca/waynemackintosh> >> Wikiblog <http://wikieducator.org/User:Mackiwg/Blog> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "OER university" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected] >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/oer-university?hl=en?hl=en >> Visit the OER univeristy page on http://wikieducator.org/OER_university >> > > > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "OER university" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/oer-university?hl=en?hl=en > Visit the OER univeristy page on http://wikieducator.org/OER_university > -- Wayne Mackintosh <http://wikieducator.org/User:Mackiwg>, Ph.D. Director OER Foundation <http://www.oerfoundation.org> Director, International Centre for Open Education, Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. Founder and elected Community Council Member, WikiEducator<http://www.wikieducator.org> Mobile +64 21 2436 380 Skype: WGMNZ1 Twitter <http://twitter.com/#%21/Mackiwg> | identi.ca<http://identi.ca/waynemackintosh> Wikiblog <http://wikieducator.org/User:Mackiwg/Blog> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WikiEducator" group. To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]
