Comments on: Drupal versus Ning for Learning Community Websites http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/07/31/drupal-versus-ning-for-learning-community-websites/ Weblog of Wesley Fryer Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:55:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Miguel Guhlin http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/07/31/drupal-versus-ning-for-learning-community-websites/comment-page-1/#comment-57850 Miguel Guhlin Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:05:50 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=2955#comment-57850 Wes, thanks for the post. After a hiatus with Moodle, I'm jumping back into it and moving all our content into it. It's been fun and surprisingly easy. The question I have to ask myself now is NOT, "What's easiest for me to use and maintain?" but rather, "What's easiest for those I'm hoping to empower and take ownership?" Given that question, Moodle wins hands-down...and the wealth of videos online about Moodle use is amazing. That's not to say Drupal isn't great but I have to find a balance between what I find personally engaging technology and what scaffolds learners as they engage the Borg, uh, I mean, disruptive technologies. ;-> Take care, Miguel Guhlin Around the Corner-mGuhlin.net http://mguhlin.net Wes, thanks for the post. After a hiatus with Moodle, I’m jumping back into it and moving all our content into it. It’s been fun and surprisingly easy. The question I have to ask myself now is NOT, “What’s easiest for me to use and maintain?” but rather, “What’s easiest for those I’m hoping to empower and take ownership?”

Given that question, Moodle wins hands-down…and the wealth of videos online about Moodle use is amazing. That’s not to say Drupal isn’t great but I have to find a balance between what I find personally engaging technology and what scaffolds learners as they engage the Borg, uh, I mean, disruptive technologies.

;->

Take care,
Miguel Guhlin
Around the Corner-mGuhlin.net
http://mguhlin.net

]]> By: JM Drupal http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/07/31/drupal-versus-ning-for-learning-community-websites/comment-page-1/#comment-57238 JM Drupal Sat, 02 Aug 2008 09:55:01 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=2955#comment-57238 We are a using Drupal a lot, recently we are hearing more often that people think about Ning as an alternative to Drupal - I talked to one organization who want´s to use both - Drupal for what he called the website and Ning for the social network part . . well, I recommended to review the long term implications of using a black box proprietary solution as Ning. As stated in above article - you don´t have control over what they decide now or in the future - Ning runs on Ning servers and you can´t just develop features or connect it to desired web services and applications as you please. So the decision is between a ready to use solution with zero server maintenance using Ning hosting or a ready to use zero server maintenance solution using a dedicated Drupal hosting. The latter leaves you with initially higher costs when you want to redesign the theme of the site and don´t want to use a standard template, but it also gives you way more choice further down the line - you are simply in 100 percent control and have full access to the system . . . and you have a dedicated Drupal in Education Group who provides support, inspiration and a Drupal version taken the particular needs of the academic and educational field into account. Well - doesn´t sounds like a very hard decision to me what I would use. We are a using Drupal a lot, recently we are hearing more often that people think about Ning as an alternative to Drupal – I talked to one organization who want´s to use both – Drupal for what he called the website and Ning for the social network part . . well, I recommended to review the long term implications of using a black box proprietary solution as Ning. As stated in above article – you don´t have control over what they decide now or in the future – Ning runs on Ning servers and you can´t just develop features or connect it to desired web services and applications as you please.

So the decision is between a ready to use solution with zero server maintenance using Ning hosting or a ready to use zero server maintenance solution using a dedicated Drupal hosting. The latter leaves you with initially higher costs when you want to redesign the theme of the site and don´t want to use a standard template, but it also gives you way more choice further down the line – you are simply in 100 percent control and have full access to the system . . . and you have a dedicated Drupal in Education Group who provides support, inspiration and a Drupal version taken the particular needs of the academic and educational field into account. Well – doesn´t sounds like a very hard decision to me what I would use.

]]> By: John Patten http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/07/31/drupal-versus-ning-for-learning-community-websites/comment-page-1/#comment-57118 John Patten Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:44:42 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=2955#comment-57118 Thanks for the info Wesley! That was pretty much my understanding too. I probably will go with a Drupal set up for my 5th grade teachers. Ning is great, but it does have its limitations. BTW, we've been using Moodle with a previous EETT grant and our middle school teachers. I'm seriously thinking about to making every teachers name on their school site (btw they're Mambo/Joomla configs)link back to their own personal Moodle site this year (http://eett.sylvan.k12.ca.us/moodle). Just have to love OpenSource! :-) Thanks for the info Wesley! That was pretty much my understanding too. I probably will go with a Drupal set up for my 5th grade teachers. Ning is great, but it does have its limitations. BTW, we’ve been using Moodle with a previous EETT grant and our middle school teachers. I’m seriously thinking about to making every teachers name on their school site (btw they’re Mambo/Joomla configs)link back to their own personal Moodle site this year (http://eett.sylvan.k12.ca.us/moodle). Just have to love OpenSource! :-)

]]> By: Josie Fraser http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/07/31/drupal-versus-ning-for-learning-community-websites/comment-page-1/#comment-57103 Josie Fraser Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:01:05 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=2955#comment-57103 I think you hit on the main issue that will determine tool selection for a lot of educators - are they supported (ie are they given resources in terms of technical support, institutional authority, and additional time) to set up their own platforms, or do they need to use web-based services. Or in some cases, are the tools they've been officially provided with useful in supporting learners with specific tasks. Drupal & Moodle are both great :) Educators looking to support their own platforms might also want to take a look at my recent list of open source social software: http://fraser.typepad.com/socialtech/2008/07/open-source-soc.html Those wanting to evaluate web-based platforms might find the evaluation tool provided in my recent report on young people and social software useful. It provides a useful checklist of all those questions you'll want to ask about particular services: http://www.digizen.org/socialnetworking/ Best, J. I think you hit on the main issue that will determine tool selection for a lot of educators – are they supported (ie are they given resources in terms of technical support, institutional authority, and additional time) to set up their own platforms, or do they need to use web-based services. Or in some cases, are the tools they’ve been officially provided with useful in supporting learners with specific tasks.

Drupal & Moodle are both great :) Educators looking to support their own platforms might also want to take a look at my recent list of open source social software:

http://fraser.typepad.com/socialtech/2008/07/open-source-soc.html

Those wanting to evaluate web-based platforms might find the evaluation tool provided in my recent report on young people and social software useful. It provides a useful checklist of all those questions you’ll want to ask about particular services:

http://www.digizen.org/socialnetworking/

Best, J.

]]> By: Wesley Fryer http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/07/31/drupal-versus-ning-for-learning-community-websites/comment-page-1/#comment-57102 Wesley Fryer Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:55:35 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=2955#comment-57102 You are most welcome Clay! I'm enthused to be currently working on two projects that involve Drupal, and one is an RFP that will have a design company helping with some Drupal development. I'm looking forward to lots of Drupal learning in the coming months, and I will certainly share the journey! I'm considering setting up a Moodle course here on my own site about Drupal and seeing if I can get some more experienced Drupal gurus to share their expertise, both for my own benefit as well as others who are interested. We had several educators in our skypecast last night express interest in learning more about Drupal also. You are most welcome Clay! I’m enthused to be currently working on two projects that involve Drupal, and one is an RFP that will have a design company helping with some Drupal development. I’m looking forward to lots of Drupal learning in the coming months, and I will certainly share the journey! I’m considering setting up a Moodle course here on my own site about Drupal and seeing if I can get some more experienced Drupal gurus to share their expertise, both for my own benefit as well as others who are interested. We had several educators in our skypecast last night express interest in learning more about Drupal also.

]]> By: Clay Burell http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/07/31/drupal-versus-ning-for-learning-community-websites/comment-page-1/#comment-57100 Clay Burell Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:52:46 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=2955#comment-57100 Thanks for this, Wes. About as timely a post as could be for me. I'm weighing the Moodle v. Drupal question right now for my own plans. And thanks for the links for further learning :) Thanks for this, Wes. About as timely a post as could be for me. I’m weighing the Moodle v. Drupal question right now for my own plans. And thanks for the links for further learning :)

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