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Administrators plan to replace Blackboard with new online service by 2011

Published: Monday, December 7, 2009

Updated: Tuesday, December 8, 2009 02:12

A group of Tufts' administrators are looking into new systems to replace Blackboard, Tufts' online education service by fall of 2011.

 

The Learning Management System (LMS) Project group last month voted to pursue a replacement system for Blackboard. Under consideration are Sakai or Moodle, competing LMS programs, according to Neal Hirsig, assistant director for instructional services in the Department of Information Technology Services (ITS).

 

The group is made up of faculty and administrators from ITS, Tisch Library and several other offices, Hirsig said.

 

The university's Information Technology (IT) Committee, which is primarily made up of faculty members, voted to replace Blackboard on Tufts' Medford-Somerville campus in 2007.

 

The LMS Project group plans to recommend a replacement system in the spring. If approved by a steering committee, the group hopes to have the new system implemented on the Medford-Somerville campus by 2011, according to Hirsig.

 

In last night's Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate meeting, senator Shawyoun Shaidani, a freshman, announced the group's vote.

 

Shaidani cited operating costs as one reason for switching to Moodle. He added that the service's open−source nature, which allows for redistribution of material on the site, makes it more flexible and therefore easier for students and teachers to use.

 

"Moodle is a far better system, and I've heard nothing but good things about it," Shaidani said after the meeting.

 

Shaidani is one of two undergraduate student members of the committee. Trustee representative Emily Maretsky, a senior who is also a features editor for the Daily, is the other.   Moodle is already in limited use in some Tufts departments, including several engineering classes.

 

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This article was edited from its original print version for purposes of accuracy on 12/8/09.

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5 comments Log in to Comment

Matt C
Wed Dec 9 2009 08:43
Moodle works very well for small ad-hoc situations..... I don't think Tufts is one of those. Sakai works very well at a large scale, the user interface is very simple to use and as such compliments blended courses very well. Moodle wants to be the sole delivery tool - as demonstrated by the lack of support in the gradebook for "arbitrary" columns - Sakai reflects the reality of large mostly face-to-face institutions and does a great job of it.
CM
Tue Dec 8 2009 15:42
Way to go! Moodle offers the power and flexibility of open source. (as well as substantial cost savings and a more student centered approach)
SL
Tue Dec 8 2009 08:29
Don't discount Sakai. Sakai is in use across the US at institutions like Indiana University, UC Berkeley, University of Michigan, Rice, and Texas State. The power of both Moodle and Sakai is not only the software, but the ability to interact, collaborate, and learn how other institutions are using these products and continually pooling resources to make the software better for everyone.
Romeo Marquis
Mon Dec 7 2009 14:10
Best wishes to Tufts as you proceed through the decision making process. Our consortium in eastern Mass. now includes more than thirty local school districts using Moodle.
Romeo Marquis, Executive Director
The Learning Curve Consortium
KTM
Mon Dec 7 2009 10:19
Moodle has been used at the high school I attended for more than four years now. Most classes involved a moodle component, including practice tests and reading assignments. I am glad to see that Tufts is moving past Blackboard which I have found to be less flexible and more of a headache than Moodle ever was.

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