Improve UOL Online Learning

Sign the petition here;

Click Here

Although Started from this go petition site, in the interests of promoting the cause of Open Online Creativity this Petition now has a blog where the whole issue can be discussed.

OpenOnlineCreativity Blogspot

We can be contacted either by email Email UOL Students at google Group CreativeLearningEnvironments
Please read the comments sections of the people who have already signed the petition.

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Hello All,

Here are some of of our existing thoughts on the Online Interface provided by Laureate Online Education;

"This program cost money and so far I ain't feeling the love."

"Blackboard is a block to my learning as it is not student friendly. It falls well below any acceptable standards for usability"

We are expecting from a Highly Usable, User Driven, Fast Evolving, Modern Social Interface and Level Of Service, we are doing this for everyones benefit including the University.

Why not a forum for discussion on what needs to be improved about the website, then action points taken from the discussions. Time scales given for the implementation of the top ten list of improvement, some more sense of what, when and who?

If you are not an IT professional then this user interface may appear to be wonderful, but it is not wonderful, it is well below the acceptable level of a product that you are being expected to pay full price for, Google doesn't make you pay for a Beta interface that has limited functionality.

Perhaps the University can look at other forms of revenue to subsidize students paying less while they are still in the process of developing the Web Interface to the MSc courses, perhaps advertising like gopetition is using?

richard_baraniuk_on_open_source_learning

yochai_benkler_on_the_new_open_source_economics

ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity

As paying Customers and a Students, we are requesting that our fellow students join us in requesting the following changes and reevaluation to the Service that the University is Providing;

1. Full Support for Linux..

2. An urgent improvement in the level of service and multiple Web site functionality offered.

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Alternative proposal to replace Blackboard;

Moodle Origins

"Moodle was created by Martin Dougiamas, a WebCT administrator at Curtin University, Australia, who has graduate degrees in Computer Science and Education. His Ph.D. examined "The use of Open Source software to support a social constructionist epistemology of teaching and learning within Internet-based communities of reflective inquiry".[1] This research has strongly influenced the design of Moodle, providing pedagogical aspects missing from many other e-learning platforms."

http://moodle.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodle

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2008/11/18 Support

Dear Cameron,

Thank you for contacting Agilix Labs, Inc. I cannot speak for your
school or for Blackboard, Inc., but I will respond to the issues you
raised relevant to the Agilix Backpack product.

Unfortunately, Agilix Backpack is only compatible with Windows 32-bit
operating systems, such as XP, XP Tablet and Vista. We do not have any
plans to support the Linux OS at this time; however, we appreciate your
feedback and will log your request for our product team.

Agilix Backpack is not designed to be an email client, so email
functionality from within Backpack is not supported. There are also no
plans for this functionality on the product roadmap.

With regards to future enhancement requests or other support inquiries
related specifically to Agilix Backpack, please feel free to submit your
requests to Agilix directly via the Backpack website support request
form here: http://backpack.agilix.com/SupportRequest.aspx

Thank you for taking the time to send your thorough message. I realize
that we do not currently have plans to accommodate your requests, but we
appreciate your feedback.

Kind regards,

Client Services
support@agilix.com
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