E-Learning on the Cheap: Free and/or Open Source Tools

Seven Things You Should Know About... blogs, wikis, podcasting, RSS, course management, personal response systems, e-books, Creative Commons, open source, etc.

Common Craft videos: short video explanations of many tools and processes.

http://del.icio.us/martindale/free

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Social Bookmarking--for assembling resource collections

• http://del.icio.us/
• http://del.icio.us/martindale
• http://del.icio.us/tag/idt7073

Wikis: for knowledge management, information organization, and institutional memory.

• Video: Wikis in Plain English
• A wiki is a piece of server-based software that enables the user to edit a web page via the web browser. There are many variations in terms of types of wikis. A common feature is the easy creation of new wiki “pages” by combining words to form a web link to a new document. Most wikis include a basic shorthand so that users can create web documents without needing to know HTML.
• The most well-known and largest example of a wiki is probably Wikipedia—a vast web-based encyclopedia. Wikipedia is being developed and managed by a large group of vigilant contributors from around the globe. There are many other types of wikis.
• Wikipedia
• Wikibooks
• Wikiquote
• Mediawiki
• PMwiki
• PBwiki
• Wikispaces. Free full account for AECT members
• Wetpaint.com
• Executive's Guide to Blogs, Wikis, and RSS (PDF)
• Wide Open Spaces: Wikis, Ready or Not

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Other Collaborative Writing

1. Zoho: collaborative everything.
2. Google Docs collaborative word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations.

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Blogs and blogging

for documenting processes, helping employees connect, and generating ideas and innovations.

1. Moveable Type
2. Wordpress.org and Wordpress.com
3. http://blogger.com - set up a free blog

What is RSS and why is it important?

• Video: RSS in Plain English
• RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a syntax for expressing information in a machine-readable format.
• RSS explained
• RSS compared to email
• Explaining RSS

Sample Feeds

• Trey Martindale's blog : http://teachable.org/blog/index.php/?feed=rss2

What is an aggregator, and why should I use one?

• An aggregator is a piece of software (client-based or web-based), that collects, displays, and otherwise manages RSS feeds.
• Google Reader
• NetNewsWire, a client aggregator (Mac)
• Awasu (Windows)
• Newsgator, a client and web aggregator (Windows)
• Bloglines, a web-based aggregator
• http://bloglines.com/public/martindale/

What are blogs and how do they work?

• newspaper, newsletter, journal, public forum, external brain, etc.
• dated entries, archived content, and commenting
• easily publish a sophisticated site with search, archives, formatting. auto-syndication with RSS. images, audio, video.
  • http://teachable.org/blog/ - Trey Martindale
  • http://www.corante.com/many/ - Many to Many: group blog

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Course Management

1. Moodle

Podcasting

• http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/eclipse/Resources/podcasting.htm

Content Management

1. Drupal
2. Plone
3. Joomla
4. CivicSpace

Project Management

1. GanttProject.biz

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Synchronous voice and/or text

1. Skype
2. Gizmo
3. AIM
4. Yahoo messenger

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Authoring Tools

1. XERTE xml editor & run time engine: free tools for creating rich, interactive elearning content for the Flash platform.

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Video Sharing

1. YouTube
2. TeacherTube

Social Networking

1. Facebook
2. MySpace
3. ELGG
4. LinkedIn
5. Brandon Hall Network is a free online social network designed for e-learning professionals, consultants, vendors, professors, students, and newbies.

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Image and Slide Sharing

1. Flickr
2. Slideshare
3. Picasa