“Edu2.0 offers a complete Web-based learning management system for public and private teaching, more than 10,000 shared online resources, and a range of networking and collaboration features--wikis, blogs, feeds, chat, etc. And it also includes assessments, attendance logs, grading, assignments, and many other features found in traditional learning management systems but without the cost of commercial systems and without the hassle of implementing an LMS from scratch. There is no cost for Edu2.0, and there is no advertising on the site. And, unlike many social sites out there, Edu2.0 is easy on the eyes and on the brain” (Nagel, 2008).
The use of Learning Management Systems has been growing by leaps and bounds. In a blog post by Kevin Jarrett, (he seems to be my go to guy, recently) he shares statistics on the recent growth of online learning communities. Distance learning, virtual charter schools, and online learning are becoming practical tools for use in education. Edu2.0 falls into this category as a free LMS that is chock-full-of functions and resources and allows for the delivery of online courses.
Check out Edu2.0 to see the list of features and possibilities in the virtual classroom.
Dave Nagel, D. (2008). Review of Edu2.0. The Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2008 from, http://grahamglass.blogs.com/main/2008/04/the-journal-rev.html
6 comments:
Hi Rose!
Glad you liked my post. In addition to teaching K-4, I also teach online, part-time at Walden University, in their graduate school of education. We use eCollege there, and had used Blackboard before, so I'm familiar with LMS's (I also have built some Moodle installations). I think think Edu2.0 has real potential. We just have to be careful when making assumptions about its future availability (as we do with any free Web 2.0 service). One can't take anything for granted these days!
Best, kj
Agreed. Just like every new thing that comes down the pike at 80 and slows down to 10 mph we have to be sure the investment we make in its use isn't more than we are willing to lose.
Despite the anonymity of cyberspace, I've had the pleasure of meeting you, Kevin. Once at a Walden residency in MN, I attended your session on Second Life, (I'm a WU student) and this summer at NECC, I attended your session on I believe it was Voice Thread.
Your ability to stay current on tech trends and willingness to share your knowledge has influenced some of my professional goals. Thank you for that.
Edu2.0 possibilities
It is interesting to see people hypothesize about the future of education. It always reminds me of Beta versus VHS. It is so difficult to see what will happen and how the fickleness of the population will turn the tides in education. Will online learning become the norm, or will there be a backlash on cyberschools as more statistics concerning their effectiveness and advantages become known?
Even with the freeware options that exist today, will they still be there tomorrow, or will they turn on us (like Yahoo! tried to do with some of its features) and attempt to create a charge for certain services? I feel quite skeptical of programs that are free, but not Open source. It is almost like they get you hooked and then start to charge once they leave the beta version. Just my thoughts.
Aside from the possibility for change or loss, I'm excited to have access to a tool which bundles many of the Web 2.0 features I've been wanting to share with my students but have been reluctant to due to issues such as security. This will allow me to create a closed class where my students can interact with each other and digital content presented. Thank you for pointing me towards a LMS I can start using right away.
Hi Rose,
Edu2.0 appears to be similar to Haiku's LMS (http://www.haikuls.com/ ). A used Haiku a couple years ago and what started out as free ended up being about $20 bucks per month -per class I was teaching. 'Free' included a minimal number of MB and by time I included drop boxes and discussion board posts, I soon exceeded the free option limit.
I looked through Edu2.0 and see that it says 'No Hidden Costs'. Thank you for sharing this source. A friend of mine is the founder of a small Montessori school. With a limited budget, Edu2.0 may be the right tool for her.
Kind Regards,
Cyndi
Hi everyone,
I'm the founder of EDU2.0 and understand your concerns re: a "bait and switch" strategy. We address this explicitly in our company FAQ at:
http://www.edu20.org/company/faq
I hope this helps address any concerns you might have. The bottom line is that we will not start charging for the site.
Cheers,
Graham
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