Moodle

Pros

• Open-source means free and customizable.
• The program comes with a variety of built-in modules that are very useful to anyone who operates a Learning Management System.
• Integrates easily with other Learning Management Systems.
• Works for educational or business purposes.

Cons

• The open-source nature of the program limits the amount of professionals who can work on it or provide technical support. As such, if you have a tech issue, you should not expect as quick a response as you may from a paid program. Fortunately, an engaged community can help to mitigate these issues.
• The out-of-date interface makes the program look older - particularly when compared to paid-for alternatives.
• The clunky nature of the administration makes the program less than ideal for people who are short on time or don't have a lot of technical prowess.

Moodle is a program that allows for users to create their own online learning sites, something that has become increasingly popular over the past year. The program is open-source, meaning anyone can use the program or modify its codes to fit their own needs. However, users shouldn't confuse open-source with convenience. Indeed, the open-source nature of Moodle can make it very difficult to operate and customize.

Moodle essentially allows anyone to create, manage and execute online learning. This can be for schools, businesses, career training, or more. The program also comes with all of the bells and whistles that you would expect with any learning management system, including the ability to give quizzes or assign work. This also includes progress tracking, an absolutely vital module that is necessary for any good LMS.

One of the nice things about Moodle is that it works for an array of uses. Many LMS systems work primarily for school OR business settlings, but Moodle has a variety of systems that make it perfect to use for either purposes. As a result, anyone can use the program. Of course, this lack of specialization can also be seen as a negative, as there are other programs that work better for one system, rather than the other.

Even better: The program integrates easily with a variety of other programs, working seamlessly with other Learning Management Systems like Microsoft Office and Google Apps. This makes it easy for you to use Moodle in conjunction with another program.

Since it's open-source, there is no financial incentive to improve the program. Unfortunately, in many areas, this becomes very apparent, very quickly. Many users complained about the interface, noting that it is out of date and not nearly as smooth as most people are used to at this point. This unquestionably limits the effectiveness of the program. Since the program is open-source, users can change the layout of the program, but this requires a degree of coding understanding that most people probably don't have.

These issues can be mitigated, to a certain extent, by others. There are a variety of training options are available on other platforms. However, it's hard top find free, customized training, so you have to make do with whatever you can find.

Pros

• Open-source means free and customizable.
• The program comes with a variety of built-in modules that are very useful to anyone who operates a Learning Management System.
• Integrates easily with other Learning Management Systems.
• Works for educational or business purposes.

Cons

• The open-source nature of the program limits the amount of professionals who can work on it or provide technical support. As such, if you have a tech issue, you should not expect as quick a response as you may from a paid program. Fortunately, an engaged community can help to mitigate these issues.
• The out-of-date interface makes the program look older - particularly when compared to paid-for alternatives.
• The clunky nature of the administration makes the program less than ideal for people who are short on time or don't have a lot of technical prowess.