ATutor

ATutor is an open source web-based learning management system (LMS).

Developer(s)Inclusive Design Research Centre, OCAD University, ATutorSpaces
Stable release
2.2.4[1] / 2018-06-20[±]
Written inPHP
Operating systemCross-platform
TypeLearning Management System
LicenseGPL
Websitehttps://atutor.github.io

Use

ATutor is used in various contexts, including online course management, continuing professional development for teachers, career development, and academic research.[2] The software is cited as unique for its accessibility features, (useful to visually impaired and disabled learners); and for its suitability for educational use according to software evaluation criteria established by The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).[3][4] ATutor is used internationally and has been translated into over fifteen languages with support for over forty additional language modules currently under development.[5] [6]

Accessibility

ATutor is the first LCMS to comply completely with the accessibility specifications of W3C WCAG 1.0 at the AA+ level, allowing the access to all the included content of the system at all levels of user-privilege, including administrator accounts.[7] Its conformity with XHTML 1.0 is intended to ensure that ATutor is presented and displayed consistently in any compatible technology.

ATutor's developers assert that it is the only fully accessible LCMS software on the market, including for-fee and closed source software. This aspect of ATutor has been affirmed in at least one University-published review of the software.[4] ATutor is also cited in numerous technical reviews and scholarly articles; and many third-party extensions have been developed and distributed for use with the software.[4] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Background

ATutor was first released in late 2002. It came in response to two studies conducted by the developer in the years prior that looked at the accessibility of online learning systems to people with disabilities. Results of the studies showed none of the popular Learning Management Systems at the time even provided minimal conformance with accessibility guidelines. At the time a blind person for instance, could not participate fully in online courses.[13]

Accessibility features

Two, of many, accessibility features in the system are text alternatives for all visual elements, and keyboard access to all elements of the program. With these features, a blind person can listen to the entire interface of the system with the help of a screen reader, and he or she can access the system without needing a mouse. These features also allow ATutor to adapt to a wide variety of technologies including cell phones, personal data assistants (PDAs), and text-based Web browsers, to name a few.[14]

ATutor includes a content authoring tool that prompts content developers to create accessible learning materials. Such prompts encourage authors to add a text alternatives if they forget to include one when adding an image, for instance. The authoring tool also includes a Web service that evaluates the accessibility of authored content against various international standards. In addition to creating accessible content, the tool is itself accessible, allowing a blind user to create content themselves.

Adaptability features

ATutor is also designed for adaptability to any of several teaching and learning scenarios. There are four main areas that reflect this design principle: themes, privileges, tool modules, and groups.[15]

The ATutor theme system allows administrators to easily customize the look and layout of the system to their particular needs.[16] Themes are used to give ATutor a new look, to give categories of courses their own look, or to provide multiple versions of ATutor on a single system, from which users could choose one as a preference setting.

The privilege system allows instructors to assign tool management privileges to particular members of a course. Instructors may create assistants or course tutors that had limited control over any of the authoring or management tools.[17]


E-learning patent dispute

ATutor is one of three open source learning management systems named in a formal challenge to an e-learning patent issued to Blackboard Inc. in July 2006. The Software Freedom Law Center filed a re-examination request on behalf of ATutor, and two other clients in late 2006. In early 2007 the re-examination request was granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). If successful, the request will ultimately lead to the cancellation of all 44 claims of the Blackboard patent.[18]

In support of the challenge to the Blackboard patent, volunteers across the Internet found examples of older programs that used ideas claimed by the patent. These volunteers collaborated to make a Wikipedia article on the History of virtual learning environments, which documents several examples of prior art.[18]

Additionally, Greg Gay, project lead of ATutor asserted in support of the re-examination request: "A patent on an educational concept -- namely the relationship among students, instructors, and administrators -- makes no sense. Such ideas are public and have been practiced for centuries; they are not the result of research and development."[18]

See also

Notes and references
  1. "ATutor releases". github.com. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  2. (See e.g., The Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC)at the OCAD University. The Learning Disabilities Resource Community (LDRC) Industry Canada (AForm) Office of Learning Technology (OLT), a division of HRDC Canada Archived 2007-08-06 at the Wayback Machine Alberta Online Consortium The Learning Exchange (TLE) learning objects repository module TMD (Financial support for the ACollab integration, student roles and privileges feature) Archived 2007-08-14 at the Wayback Machine Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education (Financial support for ATutor templating system) Davide Guidi -- E-learning Lab, University of Bologna -- Gennaro Zezza, University of Cassino (Code contribution to test module) Archived 2006-04-25 at archive.today)
  3. "About Astd - Astd - Astd". Archived from the original on 2008-09-26. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
  4. "Technical Evaluation Report 37. Assistive Software for Disabled Learners". Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2007-08-06.The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, Vol 5, No 3 (2004), ISSN 1492-3831
  5. (See e.g., Thailand Archived 2007-02-04 at the Wayback Machine Italy [Greek] [German] [Portuguese] )
  6. "Czech: PREPARATION OF ON-LINE ASSESSMENTS (masters thesis)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Italian: ATutor conference". Archived from the original on 18 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Europe: La valutazione delle piattaforme tecnologiche per l'eLearning: uno sguardo al mondo open source". Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Belgium: Cofale (PHD Thesis)". Archived from the original on 9 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Europe: Open Source Learning Management Systemen vergeleken" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Europe: Implementierung eines SCORM-basierenden Zugangs zu Web-basierendem Unterricht" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-02-21. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Chile: Virtual Highschool Based on LMS open source and learning objects (Chile) PDF" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Chile: EMPAQUETAMIENTO DE OBJETOS DE APRENDIZAJE BAJO EL ESTANDAR SCORM" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2007-07-14. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Cyprus" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Germany: Evaluierung der E-Learning-Plattform ATutor" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-10-19. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Germany: Institut für Informatik: Vorstellung des Open Source LMS ATutor pp 23 (German - pdf)" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Germany: Vergleich von Open-Source Learning Management Systemen (pdf)" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Greece: (pdf)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2007-07-14. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Greece - eLearning by ItBiz: (pdf)" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Italy: La Scelta di un Learning Management System (pdf, Italian)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-05-10. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Spain: EVALUACIÓN DE PLATAFORMAS E-LEARNING DE LICENCIA PÚBLICA (pdf, Spanish comparison ATutor& Moodle)" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Switzerland" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Tanzania: New technologies for teaching and learning: Challenges for higher learning institutions in developing countries". Archived from the original on 5 July 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Uruguay: Recycling Course Web Pages for the Semantic Web" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 July 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-09.;
  7. For details on the WCAG specification, see: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.
  8. Looi, Chee-Kit (2005). Artificial Intelligence in Education Supporting Learning Through Intelligent and Socially Informed Technology. IOS Press. ISBN 1-58603-530-4.
  9. Williams, Roy (2003). 2nd European Conference on E-Learning Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, 6–7 November 2003. Academic Conferences Limited. ISBN 0-9544577-4-9.
  10. St.Amant, Kirk (2007). Handbook of Research on Open Source Software: Technological, Economic, and Social Perspectives. Idea Group Inc (IGI). ISBN 978-1-59140-999-1.
  11. Li, Qing (2004). New Horizon In Web-based Learning. World Scientific. ISBN 981-256-029-7.
  12. "Academic research". doi:10.1109/LA-WEB.2006.31. S2CID 14673078. Retrieved 2007-08-09. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); "An Open Source software evaluation model with a case study on Course Management Systems(Masters Thesis)" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Assistive Software for Disabled Learners (Athabasca University, PDF)" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Auricle: ATutor IMS Content Export" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Auricle: ATutor Teaches a Lesson". Archived from the original on August 25, 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-09. ; "Automating Bypass Testing for Web Applications (phd thesis)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 21, 2008. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "COL LMS Open Source". Archived from the original on 2007-06-29. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "COL LMS Open Source". Archived from the original on 2007-06-29. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "COL LMS Open Source" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Constructivist Learning: An Operational Approach for Designing Adaptive Learning Environments Supporting Cognitive Flexibility" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Course Management Systems: Software Evaluation and Selection Criteria (PDF)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2007-02-21. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Course Platform Evaluation Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Educational Technology and Society" (PDF). 9 (4). October 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-09. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); "IOSN: Education Primer. (Asia Pacific Development Information)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 June 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Journal of e-Learning and Knowledge Society (The Italian e-Learning Association Journal) Accessible and Adaptive Elearning (2007)". Archived from the original on 21 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-09. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); "Mobile Learning: The Next Generation of Learning (doc)". Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Recycling Course Web Pages for the Semantic Web" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 July 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Research in Information Visualization and E-Learning". Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Shortlisting of Learning Management System software Part I of LMS" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "Technical Evaluation Learning Management Systems" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2007-03-04. Retrieved 2007-08-09.; "VE4ALL (VIRTUAL EDUCATION FOR ALL) (phd thesis)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-08-09.;
  13. For related details, consult: Technical Evaluation Report 37. Assistive Software for Disabled Learners. (referenced supra).
  14. A full list of accessibility features can be found on the ATutor Web site. (https://atutor.github.io)
  15. For additional details, consult Virtual Highschool Based on LMS open source and learning objects., Constructivist Learning: An Operational Approach for Designing Adaptive Learning Environments Supporting Cognitive Flexibility (referenced supra).
  16. The theme system was introduced in mid-2004.
  17. The privilege system was introduced early 2005.
  18. For full details, see the Press Releases from The Software Freedom Law Center. .
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