Implementing an Open Source Learning Management System for an Institution of Higher Education

One of the key methods for expanding communication in the educational environment is the use of a Learning Management System (LMS), sometimes also referred to as a Course Management System (CMS). Implementations of the commercial versions of these systems can be expensive, even beyond the reach of some institutions. Also, there are mixed reviews of the support and service available to purchasers of systems that are hosted on the network resources of the system provider versus those of the institution actually using the system. By moving to an open source solution an institution can not only avoid the cost of licensing a system but, more importantly, have access to a fully functional, stable LMS that is hosted on the institution's own servers and is locally administrated for faster service and updates.