it's possible, that the next step after Web 2.0 will be Virtual Desktop Applications integrated in Websites (Cloud Computing, etc.).
Following idea:
There are a lots of promising Virtual Online Desktops like Ulteo or Nomad. So you can access these Desktops just by using a Browser and Starting a Java Applet. (Try it out: http://www.ulteo.com/home/en/connectme).
So integration of a Virtual Online Desktop in Moodle (as a module for example) offers quite a lot advantages:
- Learning programs can be started right out of Moodle
- Easy and uncomplicated Desktop-Sharing of Virtual Desktop
- Saving und using the same Files of a Moodle course and the Virtual Desktop (if Virtual Desktop and Moodle are installed on same Server)
- Desktop Sharing of Virtual Desktop does not affect Upload Bandwidth of Users
- Roles can be commuted to the Virtual Desktop (Students have per default only rights to watch, teachers to execute programs, etc.)
- Further there could be Drag and Drop functions for Documents created in the Virtual Desktop to put them in the Moodle course.
- etc.
As Ulteo and Nomad, etc. are licensed under GPL, integration should at least not be a problem regarding legal issues. Nomad can even be installed with Suse repositories and the Java Applet to access it, can be built (Ulteo has it already).
I think that would be a really powerful extension of the Moodle capabilities. It is combining advantages of Linux Desktop with Moodle. (Only paradise is more beautiful
I hope this will be the beginning of a discussion and lead to the first LMS with an Virtual Desktop integration. Nevertheless there are yet a lot of questions and aims to define.
What are you thinking of this idea?
Best regards,
David
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