Does anyone have any information that you can provide me to help build a case for Moodle on campus? We have a few on campus who want to purchase a very expensive LMS for campus primarily because they offer 24/7 student helpdesk support. I've tried to express that Moodle does not need this because it is so easy, stable, etc. etc. Can anyone give me some info to help my cause?
Thanks so much!!! Lauren
I've tried to express that Moodle does not need this because it is so easy, stable, etc. etc.
The need for a 24/7 student helpdesk has very little to do with the ease and stability of the LMS. You will need at least the same level of student support with Moodle as you would need with any other (credible) LMS.
Steve
Yes, and we do have our own helpdesk with extended hours for this very issue and others, however it is not 24/7. We are a small college that can't provide that level of support.
Then I would say your argument is not that you don't need 24/7 support IF you go to Moodle BECAUSE Moodle is so easy and stable...your argument is that you don't need 24/7 support regardless.
If others agree, then 24/7 support is a moot point. Then your argument/questions are, since we don't NEED that 24/7 support what does the other LMS provide that Moodle doesn't? Is it worth the expense? Do we have the expertise to support Moodle? If not, how much are we going to have to pay someone else for support? etc.
Steve
Thanks for your input - Lauren
I'll second Steve's point, if you need a 24/7 helpdesk, there are a number of providers.
IIRC, Presidium, for instance, charges the same amount for Blackboard as for Moodle 24/7 helpdesk, and if you go through Moodle partners, many offer even lower cost options. In most cases, most of the student questions will be related to browsers, MS Office, and general computer questions. Having done support for Blackboard and Moodle (we ran both for several years when I was at Cal State), the support levels are roughly similar, though bigger problems arise with WebCT 6 and Vista's extensive use of Java (mainly an issue with operating system versions vs. Java virtual machine versions). One reason Moodle is one of the less expensive LMS's to support is it's closer adherence to standard XHTML, generally conservative use of frames, AJAX and Javascript, and greater degree of flexibility wrt to quizzes, discussions, etc.
As far as I know, for examle, the only way you can buy eCollege is with 24/7 support - this is not necessarily a bad thing as it may make the case for a 24/7 help desk an easier sell to a institution's administration - and certainly any LMS implementation will tend be more successful with decent 24/7 support than without it. There will tend to be students who don't realize that the MS Works that came on their Dell won't open their instructor's docx file with the assignment instructions 1/2 hour before the assignment is due at midnight on a friday
- and in most cases this is considered by instructor's and students to be the LMS's fault.
IIRC, Presidium, for instance, charges the same amount for Blackboard as for Moodle 24/7 helpdesk, and if you go through Moodle partners, many offer even lower cost options. In most cases, most of the student questions will be related to browsers, MS Office, and general computer questions. Having done support for Blackboard and Moodle (we ran both for several years when I was at Cal State), the support levels are roughly similar, though bigger problems arise with WebCT 6 and Vista's extensive use of Java (mainly an issue with operating system versions vs. Java virtual machine versions). One reason Moodle is one of the less expensive LMS's to support is it's closer adherence to standard XHTML, generally conservative use of frames, AJAX and Javascript, and greater degree of flexibility wrt to quizzes, discussions, etc.
As far as I know, for examle, the only way you can buy eCollege is with 24/7 support - this is not necessarily a bad thing as it may make the case for a 24/7 help desk an easier sell to a institution's administration - and certainly any LMS implementation will tend be more successful with decent 24/7 support than without it. There will tend to be students who don't realize that the MS Works that came on their Dell won't open their instructor's docx file with the assignment instructions 1/2 hour before the assignment is due at midnight on a friday
- and in most cases this is considered by instructor's and students to be the LMS's fault.
Great, points. Thanks a lot for your input and suggestions.
I'll also second Steve's point! Moodle partners have quite a bit of experience in this area (i.e., types of questions that come up from students). 24/7 student help desk is available, IF a school is willing to pay for this. Moodle allows a school to take greater control over their online learning stack technologies, which includes controlling costs. Is anyone today not concerned with controlling costs? Would faculty be persuaded if they knew that they can have Moodle do what they want, rather than what the vendor thinks they should have. When people begin to discuss something here at moodle.org the discussion is monitored by the developers, who usually respond to what is being said. This is how Moodle evolves (i.e. from the grassroots).
Student help desk for the Moodle LMS can easily be handled at the local level if an organization will participate in the process. There are some good animated tutorials for the student user available, which can be part of their introduction to online learning. Forums are used by many organizations to handle general questions, which is how almost all software is supported today. Course content questions are mostly handled by the instructor. Perhaps if your stakeholders were able to verbalize why they think 24/7 student help desk is needed you could offer reasonable alternatives. A Moodle help desk system should not really be for the student (or teacher) who is too lazy to learn how to use a browser for example. Basic browser skills are all that is needed to use Moodle and interact with course content.
Student help desk for the Moodle LMS can easily be handled at the local level if an organization will participate in the process. There are some good animated tutorials for the student user available, which can be part of their introduction to online learning. Forums are used by many organizations to handle general questions, which is how almost all software is supported today. Course content questions are mostly handled by the instructor. Perhaps if your stakeholders were able to verbalize why they think 24/7 student help desk is needed you could offer reasonable alternatives. A Moodle help desk system should not really be for the student (or teacher) who is too lazy to learn how to use a browser for example. Basic browser skills are all that is needed to use Moodle and interact with course content.