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Software Review
More Than Open Source: A Second Look at Sakai
3/14/2007
Sure you have been hearing about Sakai, the open source collaboration and learning environment, but you've probably also heard that campuses that have implemented Sakai have huge IT budget and lots of staff. So you haven't tried it yet, and you wonder why you should. Why go through the hassle and expense? After all, it's just an "open-source" version of the CMS you already use, right?Wrong.
Because it often gets the most press for being "open source" software, you may not know that Sakai has unique features--many not found in other course management systems--that have attracted schools all over the world, from small liberal arts colleges to large Ivy League institutions to online universities--campuses with and without enormous IT resources. And one or more of these unique features may solve a particular problem on your campus.
So when you consider Sakai with your colleagues, it may be best to examine both the advantages of open source and the unique features the Sakai community has fostered in this remarkable collaboration and learning environment. Below are just a few of the reasons to take another look at Sakai--everything from features you may not know about; to the truth about the resources it takes to run an open source course management system; to information about the benefits of the way Sakai is built and governed.
Collaborative Tools
Sakai has all the course management system functionality you expect and need. But one of Sakai's most powerful features is its ability to offer group collaboration sites--so easy to set up you can let faculty serve themselves. On many campuses, collaboration sites have taken off like wildfire and have become so popular with faculty and students that they increase adoption rates and decrease resistance to course management system change. Collaboration sites can be used by researchers who need to work with their colleagues around the world, faculty engaged in governance committee work, and students working with study groups or activity clubs.
Sakai also offers a deep and robust suite of portfolio tools that enable students and faculty to create portfolios of their best work in the same place they do the majority of their work--their collaboration and learning environment. Students creating learning portfolios in Sakai's integrated environment feel like they are engaged in an organic process rather than just another assignment or checklist. For faculty and administrators, Sakai's portfolio suite also doubles as a powerful assessment tool--from student learning, to program assessment, to accreditation. Universities have also found other uses for Sakai's portfolio suite, including faculty promotion and tenure portfolios and student advising systems.
Diverse Features
In addition, Sakai's list of features includes a number of tools not available in other systems.
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