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Interview
Gartner: E-learning Market Pushing Toward Open Source
6/4/2008
Harris: That's a trend that we predicted, so it confirmed our thinking. The term homegrown doesn't mean [schools are] coding from scratch. They're using things like [Microsoft] SharePoint.
It's just that there are more options now. Schools use so many other content management portal applications with relatively good, usable toolsets that they can create their own e-learning systems also using those tools...
We also see things built out on Lotus [for example,] but the one where we're seeing growth right now is SharePoint.
Another event we're seeing is a rise in social networking and social software. We're receiving more inquiries asking, what can we build out from a social software environment?
What I'm working on now is what I think we will ultimately be moving to, which I'm calling a social learning platform.
CT: An e-learning system that includes collaboration tools, then?
Harris: Yes.... [An e-learning system] that includes the features and functionality in social software. Ultimately, students and users in general are very familiar with the types of social software and Web 2.0 tools. They have higher user expectations. Even now, professors are setting up discussions and class resources through Facebook applications or other types of social software applications.
CT: So will more and more e-learning vendors start to include collaboration tools and other integrations?
Harris: Yes. We're already hearing about institutions that are talking to Blackboard about Moodle integrations. I'm even seeing some providers positioning their e-portfolios as social software in terms of appearance: It looks and feels more like a social collaboration network than a course management system.
So I think that certainly, providers are moving this direction. Again, I think we can expect to see more developed with using Microsoft and Google applications.
CT: It's an exciting time to be watching the e-learning space.
Harris: Yes it is.... And at the same time, for a CIO of an institution who is dealing with an application that has stakeholders in so many different areas--from students to faculty to community and to the IT organization--it's a real challenge.
Linda L. Briggs is a freelance writer based in San Diego, Calif.
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