Supporting Open Source Software for Education
Comparing open source vs. proprietary software is like comparing apples and oranges. It’s a comparison that just doesn’t make sense for anything other than the basic comparison of licensing rights.
There are great variations among open source options, and among proprietary options. Yet many conversations about open source software tend to use very broad generalizations and treat each of these (open or proprietary) as a distinct thing. I’m involved in a lot of conversations about adopting open source software and I’m always struck by the black & white view of proprietary vs. open.
March 9, 2010
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by jbrown
As I explained in earlier posts, global e-docs are among the most helpful features in the Kuali Financial System. Another time-saving feature of the system is mass import of accounting lines and other data. This feature is especially helpful when users have multiple lines of accounting data to enter and do not want to enter each line separately. Using this feature, they can quickly enter data into an import template and then upload it into the appropriate electronic document.
I read the recent news about Rimini Street’s battle with Oracle with great interest this past week.
The Chronicle headline last Sunday was “A Small Company, Promising Major Savings on Vital Software, Lures Colleges.” The issue highlighted in the story:
Cost-conscious colleges are caught in the cross-fire of a legal battle between Rimini Street, the low-cost maintenance provider, and Oracle, a software powerhouse that serves hundreds of higher-education customers. In January, Oracle sued Rimini Street for running what Oracle calls an “illegal” and “corrupt” business model.
January 14, 2010
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by aapotts
One of the batch jobs that was used often during development was the ClearCacheJob. However, just prior to 3.0 release it was removed from the default list of jobs. For some schools, it's still a nice job to have around.
Please note that this batch job is not perfect. Even though it would seem from the name that it should clear all the caches, in reality it does not and what it does clear out is sometimes inconsistent. So use it carefully and if all else fails, restart the application server.
To turn the ClearCacheJob back on, in your spring-sys.xml file make the following changes (either add the values to the lists, or even better, add this code directly to your own version of spring-sys.xml so you don't change any core code):
January 3, 2010
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by jbrown
Each year at Kuali Days, a pre-conference session introduces newcomers to the Kuali Financial System. Having videotaped this session at Kuali Days VIII in November 2009, we've now posted part of it on YouTube in a series of videos. While the camera work is hardly professional, anyone who is new to the Kuali Financial System will find these videos very valuable.
The session consists of several different segments, each of which introduces a key aspect of the system and is presented by one or more Kuali Financial System experts.
(Note: Due to size restrictions on YouTube, each segment is made up of two or more video clips.The links below take you to the playlist for each segment.)
December 23, 2009
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by jbrown
A co-worker just sent me a link to the article "Sakai: Open Source … Open Minds" in the Dec. 13, 2009, issue of Learning Solutions Magazine. Written by Larissa Biggers, the article focuses on Sakai's collaborative learning environment. Ms. Biggers notes that the Sakai environment supports active learning on the part of students, with instructors serving as facilitators. She notes that "because the CLE is student-centered, students are in control of their own learning and ultimately, the outcome of their learning."
I spent part of last week in Amsterdam at the invitation of University of Amsterdam for the OpenIC Symposium (program in Dutch, running on Sakai). I learned a lot about what’s happening at UvA (great things!), visited Edia, a consulting company that provides Sakai services, and the Vrije Universiteit. I even gave a lecture on [...]
I just returned from a great week in Australia, primarily for AuSakai 09. I also had meetings with many groups at Charles Sturt University (where the conference was held) and visited University of New England in Armidale.
Clay Fenlason and I arrived early Monday morning on the same flight from SFO and took the short flight [...]
Campus Technology recently published an article written by Josh Baron, Director of Academic Technology and eLearning at Marist College, titled Community Source Evaluation Strategies: Is Sakai Right for Your Institution. In this article, Mr. Baron explains Marist College's strategic planning and assessment process to evaluate Sakai as a possible long-term Course Management System (CMS) solution. To read the article in full, CLICK HERE.
