the lms delimma: self host or vendor host - kurt beer
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LMS Choices:To Self-Host or Vendor-
Host?
Kurt BeerSales Director – Northeast
Moodlerooms, Inc.
Keith LandaDirector of Instructional TechnologyPurchase College SUNY
Agenda• The changing Learning Management System landscape• Motivators to Change LMSs• Why open source?• Variables when Deciding Self-Host vs. Vendor-Host• Decision to Self-Host (Purchase College example)• Decision to Vendor-Host• Questions and Answers
What is Moodle?The world’s most widely used open source LMS
•49,000 Registered Moodle Sites•35,000,000 Registered Users
http://www.moodle.org/stats
Motivators to Change LMSsWhat pain causes schools to consider LMS alternatives?
1. Innovation Lacking
2. Difficult / Expensive to Customize
3. Vendor Support Declining4. Increasing License Fees
5. Inflexible Vendors, Ts & Cs
6. Resource Limitations (budget & personnel)
Motivators to Change LMSsWhat promise causes schools to consider LMS alternatives?
1. Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) – LMS no longer needed?2. LMS advantages: home base; institutional authentication and data;
FERPA3. LMS openness and integration with outside tools
LMS Web 2.0
?
Motivators to Change LMSsWhat are the options?
Software type
Hostingoption
Proprietary software,Self-hosted
Open source software,Self-hosted
Home-built
Proprietary software,Vendor-hosted(SaaS models)
Open source software,Vendor-hosted(“Managed open source”)
Why open source?
Focus on teaching & learning- Robust set of activities & resources- Clear development pathway- Expansion/customization, community
Costs- No licensing costs- Support costs- Total cost of ownership
Risk management- Risks of open source- Commercial products have different risks
Integration- Other systems- Web 2.0 world
Flexible open architecture
Decision Variables: Self-Host vs. Vendor-Host
Decision Variables: Self-Host vs. Vendor-Host
• Currently have an LMS?
– If yes, then do you host yourself?
• If yes, then do you host Moodle…
– If yes, then A) you’re well informed to decide.
– If no, then B) evaluate differences between Moodle, et al.
• If no, then C) much work must be done to evaluate alternatives.
– If no, then D) ???
Expertise.
Decision Variables: Self-Host vs. Vendor-Host
• Training
• ERP/SIS Integration
• Technology Integrations
• Course Conversion
Change Management.
Decision Variables: Self-Host vs. Vendor-Host
• Logistically• Types of questions• Quantity of questions• Timeliness of responses• Quality of responses
• Strategically• Tech Support as core competency• Need a throat to choke
Technical Support.
Decision Variables: Self-Host vs. Vendor-Host
• Core Moodle
• Moodle.org Plug-ins
• Technology Partner Integrations• Synchronous tools, Anti-plagiarism, ePortfolios,
Respondus, Google Apps, Live@EDU, publisher content…
• Customizations• Themes, reports, mobile, etc.• Impact to support and upgrades
Functionality Enhancements.
Decision Variables: Self-Host vs. Vendor-Host
• FERPA & Institutional Data Compliance• Who, What, How
• Technology Investment• Backup / DR Management• Proactive Antivirus Management• Data Network Design / Isolation• Reporting / Auditing / Monitoring
• Process for Responding to Breeches
Security / Data Privacy.
Decision Variables: Self-Host vs. Vendor-HostCost.
• Hardware / Infrastructure• Servers (Web, Storage, Database)• Network (Switches, Routers, Load Balancers)
• Supporting Software• OS (Windows, Linux, Solaris or Virtual)• Database (MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle)• Backup / DR (Veritas, DoubleTake)• Antivirus / Security• Performance Monitoring
• Personnel
Background – Purchase – 2008
ERes electronic reserves
Liberal Arts and Sciences plus Arts Conservatories
~4200 FTE
Web enhancement of F2F courses
Change managementBuilding a case, implementing a new LMS
Fall 2008: faculty task force established; faculty survey; discussion of selection criteria (functionality, technical requirements, costs)
Spring 2009: Moodle production system established; pilot Moodle courses (~20); student survey (key driver); ongoing communication; development of general sense among faculty that ‘we’re going with Moodle’….
Context: faculty dissatisfaction with Blackboard; superficial use of LMS; escalating costs
Summer 2009: summer faculty workshop series (new); course conversion and course prep; consolidation of electronic reserves into Moodle courses
Fall 2009/Spring 2010: transition year; immediate termination of ERes; one more year of Blackboard; faculty assisted to move courses to Moodle; ongoing Moodle workshops; termination of Blackboard at end of year
Implementation – course migration
• Blackboard - ~1000 courses; ERes – substantially more
• ERes – document download, upload to Moodle• Blackboard – Moodle can import Blackboard course
archives (zip files), but…. (problems with the Bb archives)
• Temp services staff - ~300 hours from May to Aug 2009, primarily ERes migration
• Bb course migration on request during 2009/2010 year
Implementation – faculty development
• Spring 2009 workshops: hour long sessions, various topics; early adopters; 28 faculty
• 2009 Summer Faculty Workshop Series: new programming, not just Moodle; half- and full-day workshops; stipends; 36 faculty at Moodle sessions
• Fall 2009: Moodle Kickoff workshops; Getting Started, Gradebook, Learning Activity; 98 faculty
Implementation – server config
• Virtual servers for production and for test/dev– More control over test environment
• Windows Server 2008 x64• 4 CPUs• 4 GB RAM• 30 GB C: drive; 100 GB E: drive• MS SQL and PHP
Cost comparisons
Blackboard Moodle
Licensing $40K $0K
Server VM VM
Staff Fraction FTE server admin1 FTE instructional tech
Fraction FTE server admin1 FTE instructional tech0.5 FTE designer
Course migration NA $3K onetime (ERes)
Faculty development ?? $3.6K summer 2009
Moodle development @ PurchaseCommunity add-ons
• Feedback, Questionnaire, Attendance, Book, Moodle-Google, Map, etc
• MLE – support for mobile Moodle
• Lightbox Gallery• SLOODLE
Moodle development @ PurchaseIntegrations
• Mahara e-portfolio• Google Analytics• Classroom response system• Home-grown SIS• VoiceThread
Moodle development @ PurchasePurchase projects
• Flash video• Library integrations
– Reserves requests, database searches, image archives, librarian roles
• Integrated Moodle help
Moodle as hub for a suite of integrated teaching/learning
applications
Purchase College’s Decision to Self-Host Moodle
Decision to Vendor-HostExpertise• It’s our business
Change Management• Training Offerings• Conduit SIS Integration• Partner Plug-in Program• Batch Course Converters
Technical Support• 24x7x365 for Sys Admins• 24x7x365 for End Users
Security / Data Privacy• Amenable to Data Security Policies• Proactive Monitoring• 99.99% SLA (w/ 99.997% Average Uptime)
Functionality Enhancements• Vendor Developments• Moodle Modules / Plug-ins• Technology Partner Integrations• Customizations• Client Contributor Model• Continuous Enhancements
Cost• Specialized Vendor Personnel• Reallocate your Resources• Annualized Operating Expense
Decision to Vendor-Host
Go to http://sakaiproject.org/commercial-support to see the list of
Selecting a Sakai Vendor.
Decision to Vendor-Host
Go to http://Moodle.com to see the full list of 54 global partners
Selecting a Moodle Vendor.
Thank you!
What is Moodle?
• Created by Martin Dougiamis• v1.0 Released in 2002 via GPL
• Open Source• Accessible (508 compliant)• Scalable• Standards Based• Feature Rich• Flexible
Standard Moodle Features
The world’s most widely used open source LMS
What is Moodle?Notable Statistics
•49,000 Registered Moodle Sites•35,000,000 Registered Users
http://www.moodle.org/stats
•82 Languages Supported•Used in 213 Countries
Conclusion
• Moodle is…
• Feature Rich
• Easy to Use
• Scalable
• Standards Based
• Accessible
• Sustainable
SUNY Delhi – hosted Moodle
ANGEL local
ANGEL hosted
Bb local Bb hosted Moodle local
Moodle hosted
License + $37K $52K $102K $120K $0K $0K
Server + $19K $9K $10K $0K $11K $0K
Hosting + $0K $24K $0K $136K $0K $10K
Support staff
local $57K local local local local
Total $46K $142K $112K $256K $11K $10K
Analysis for 3 yearshttps://confluence.delhi.edu/display/CIS/LMS+Migration