There are strengths and weaknesses of the open source versus
commercial software in relation to synchronous learning. This chart looks at
some of the strengths and weaknesses.
|
Synchronous Learning
|
Open Source Application
|
Commercial Products
|
|
Strengths
|
Easy to control
Easy to format
Can change and modify without fees
Overall more control
|
Full features
Easy to implement
Reliable
Data may be easier to analyze
May be more affordable in the long term due to hidden costs in an OSA
|
|
Weaknesses
|
Sharing is limited to sharing either the full screen or a portion of
screen (except Mikogo)
Video is limited to webcam capture
Many use Flash which cause problems with iOS
Not much technological support
May be too costly to administer, if it depends on a large pool of
changing resource
|
Annual Fee
Changes are more difficult and may require a fee
Not as much control over formatting and content changes
|
I think that when going with a small online environment an
OSA would be okay. I worry about hidden costs especially as an environment grows.
It seems that commercial products are better for a larger organization. I
wonder if the commercial companies are flexible and will work with a large
organization. The main concern is being stuck in a system that you feel you can’t
control.
No comments:
Post a Comment