What are the best and worst online learning platforms?

Very good information, Dr. P. Thanks for sharing. Wasn't WebCT bought out by Blackboard too? They seem to be taking over.

 

Blackboard bought WebCT in 2006, primarily because the WebCT platform was more robust and Blackboard's 1996 technology was getting a bit long in the tooth. Blackboard version 9 it the first to be built primarily on the WebCT engine. WebCT clients noticed a pretty drastic decline in service after 2006 and the WebCT product will no longer be supported very soon. Unfortunately for ANGEL customers, Blackboard appears not to have learned much from the mistakes that they made with WebCT, as they are making many of the same mistakes with ANGEL.

As it stands, there are relatively few major vendors in the academic CMS market. The market leaders appear at the moment to be Blackboard, Moodle, Desire2Learn, eCollege and Sakai (in that order).

 

I have never heard of Desire2Learn or Sakai. Anyone know anything about them?

 

We are doing a gradual switchover at Houston Community College. We start training classes in January 2011. I think the full switch is mid 2011.

 

Desire2Learn (D2L) was developed at a Canadian University (as was WebCT) and quickly gathered a sizable share of the CMS/LMS market by securing statewide consortia and beating Blackboard in head-to-head evaluations. After Blackboard acquired WebCT, D2L became the #2 CMS and was subsequently sued by Blackboard (Blackboard initially won but utlimately lost the suit). D2l IS CURRENTLY THE #3 cms (behind Blackboard and Moodle).

Sakai, like Moodle, is an open source product, but was founded and is administered by a consortium of universities.