Open source software for e-learning: lessons learned from a three year application of a content, community, and collaborative management system in a primary school in greece

Abstract

This paper focuses on the use of open source content management systems in primary education. The first part of the paper addresses the issue of open source software and examines recent international, European, and national initiatives regarding open source content management systems. The second part of the paper distinguishes two types of content management systems: specialized educational focus and general purpose systems. The organization and structure of PostNuke, a popular content, community and collaborative management system, is presented in the third part of the paper. The fourth part provides an outline of the main teaching and learning uses of PostNuke at a primary school in Crete over a period of three years. In the final section, the lessons learned from the educational application of PostNuke are discussed and the future prospects of using open source content management systems in education are addressed.