Open+Source+Alternatives

**AJCU Shared Service Committee - LMS Work Group**

 * Subject: Open Source Alternatives**

__**Introduction:**__ While researching for true open source alternatives, the group has not found any except for Moodle. Moodle has been the dominate open source LMS system and the only one has traction among AJCU schools. Holy Cross has successful implementations and can be a model Moodle school for the association. USF recently embarked on the Moodle course. It can be utilized as a leading school moving towards the open source effort.

1. Sharing of a Moodle sandbox site. It will allow members to play and build their own expertise and give their own evaluation of Moodle fit for their institutions
 * __Areas for Potential Collaboration:__**

2. Sharing Moodle expertise; Members can share particular Moodle expertise, especially with integration;

3. Potentially sharing of production site;

4. Sharing of cost (consulting and hosting).

5. Sharing of Moodle implementation benefits and challenges.

__**Recommendation:**__ Given the many AJCU institutions can benefit from a sample Moodle site. This area of sharing can lower the cost for member institutions to evaluate Moodle as a possible alternative to Blackboard. We recommend the association put together a Moodle center for members to evaluate the potential Moodle benefits.