[Moodle] UltraNet: Try moodle instead....

[Stephen Digby]

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Re: Government to rework online plan
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24586362-2862,00.html
Herald Sun, Australia - Nov 1, 2008   Under the $60.5 million "UltraNet"
initiative, parents would be able to check marks, assignments and attendance
details via computer. ...
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Dear Ms. Pike,

I would like to make a plea for a reconsideration of the tender process in
relation to UltraNet.

As you would know, teachers consider the performance of the Ministry as less
than satisfactory across a huge range of areas.  This evaluation is
completely separate to any industrial issues, and relates to simple
competency across a number of areas.   

One of the outstanding failures has been in software development around the
“CASES” system. It is impossible to evaluate this system by its use, as this
is mandated for many school operation areas (e.g. student absence recording,
student achievement records).  Where school staff have the option NOT to use
CASES (e.g. timetabling, student behaviour recording, student sessional
absence recording, student achievement records and reporting) they spend
thousands of dollars and hours working on almost any other option ! 
There is very little natural responsiveness built into a system and no open
discussion forums provided for feedback from users.

Staff are thus overwhelming fearful of UltraNet rather than excited about
it.  The implementation of “Ultranet readiness” has proceeded so far in
advance of any real product and with such and emphasis on mandated promotion
rather than evaluation, that it has fed more cynicism rather than hope. The
style seems to repeat that of CASES, “do it this way”, “get used to it”, “no
option”.

With the delay in finding another tenderer for UltraNet, I would like to
urge a few alternative and complimentary possibilities:

- recommend open source software solutions similar to UltraNet requirements
and evaluate what they can immediately deliver without cost.  I would
recommend close inspection of the software "moodle".  Developed in Perth and
used extensively across the world (currently one of the most popular systems
used in UK secondary schools).  It is popular and growing in use in Victoria
(in the absence of UltraNet).  
- fund improvement in existing features of available software (e.g. moodle)
and develop new features as planned for UltraNet

The above strategy would result in 
- very rapid availability to schools of many UltraNet features (curriculum
documentation shared with students, parents and other schools; student
results availability online; etc)
- rapid development of improvements and additional features addressing
UltraNet tender objectives (e.g. connectivity to attendance monitoring and
achievement reporting software etc.)
- contribution to Australian software innovation and development 
- contribution to international educational software developments as
features of moodle would be available to all school in the world because it
is "open source" software.

I urge you to explore the alternative to closed proprietary systems, and to
invest in an Australian solution that can involve schools through attraction
rather than compulsion.

I and many other teachers with experience in implementing moodle in school
systems would be happy to talk to you about this alternative approach at any
time.

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Stephen Digby, Learning Technology Manager
mailto: digby.stephen.p at edumail.vic.gov.au  
Cheltenham Secondary College www.cheltsec.vic.edu.au
Ph: 613 955 55 955  Fx: 9555 8617 Mb: 0431-701-028
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