Building Eclectic Personal Learning Landscapes with Open Source Tools

Abstract

There is an ongoing trend towards modularization of Learning Management Systems and other E-Learning Applications. Modularization should add flexibility to the previously static environments that have been used for elearning. This trend concerns both commercial LMS vendors (e.g. the concept of building blocks in Blackboard) as open source developers (e.g. Moodle). Based on the model of the personal learning landscape (see Tosh/ Werdmuller 2004) this paper describes another approach to reach personalized learning environments. Through an eclectic use and combination of different systems and services this paper demonstrates how to reach personalized learning environments with the combination of different open source applications. Software for static content (Mambo CMS) is combined with dynamical systems like b2evolution and Mediawiki. After “dancing the mambo”, “doing the evolution” and “hopping on the wiki bus”, all systems are connected trough the use of the “magic glue” RSS. Different use cases and a development outlook regarding intersystematic development needs are given.