Proprietary software is no longer the only available option for quality online course management. A
healthy OSS/FS movement has emerged, providing no-cost products that are evidently as good as or even
better than proprietary, commercial products. The open availability of OSS/FS productsÕ source code
makes it more flexible and customizable than typical proprietary software. Based on the current
evaluation, the author is recommending the use of Moodle within his College campus. Its appealing
visual design, the ease and intuitive manner with which online activities can be added, the online help,
and the support provided by the documentation and users groups make this a superior and user-friendly
LMS. It is hoped that this recommendation will assist in the development of a structured, supportive, and
relatively cost-free environment at the College, in which instructors can experiment with learning
technology, and can enhance their teaching activities for the studentsÕ benefit. 


Athabasca University
CENTRE FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION
Written in October of 2003
http://cde.athabascau.ca/softeval/reports/R250310.pdf




A tool such as Plone,
serving restricted CMS needs, may also be useful in this context in that it can be used by novice web-site
builders for the major functions of online publishing, without the potential distractions of more elaborate
LMS systems.