Abstract
The first section of this report examines the CourseCompass learning management system (LMS), made available to educators by the Pearson publishing group as a vehicle for the company’s extensive content library. The product’s features are discussed, and the implications of Pearson’s software/ textbook “bundling” policy for the integrity of course design. The second section of the report reviews Wordcircle, an open source (OS) LMS provided as a free hosted service or as source code downloadable for installation on the user’s own server. The contrasting marketing approaches of these two products are discussed in the light of the increasing move by distance educators from proprietary to open source LMS products. As in previous reports in the series, the reviews are based on the six evaluation criteria of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD): cost, complexity, control, clarity, common technical framework, and features.
Highlights
Product TrialsCourseCompass (http://www.coursecompass.com/ccindex.html) is a customized version of the Blackboard platform, and is made available free of charge to instructors and institutions who purchase content from the Pearson Education publishing group
The first section of this report examines the CourseCompass learning management system (LMS), made available to educators by the Pearson publishing group as a vehicle for the company’s extensive content library
Instructor access to the CourseCompass system is limited to legitimate instructors who agree to make use of publications produced by Prentice-Hall or subsidiaries of Pearson Education
Summary
CourseCompass (http://www.coursecompass.com/ccindex.html) is a customized version of the Blackboard platform, and is made available free of charge to instructors and institutions who purchase content from the Pearson Education publishing group. Special character palettes are available for French, German, Spanish and Italian Students can set their own passwords and can modify their personal profiles, helping to streamline records administration. They can attend virtual classes, read and post to discussion boards, and participate in text-based synchronous chats. Access to a comprehensive library of academic journals and other subscription-based content services is included with all courses offered on the CourseCompass platform. These include EBSCO’s ContentSelect, the New York Times searchable archives, and a collection of professionally selected research sites accessed through the Link Library.
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