distance learning system(LMS, LMS) is an important tool in the work of e-learning specialists. LMS can be a major expense if you are looking for a reliable, versatile e-learning system that will meet all of your e-learning development needs.

You can get acquainted with the Top 20 Learning Management Systems (LMS) based on feedback from users of the systems.

Luckily, there are plenty of open-source LMSs out there, that is, available for free. You will be able to choose a dynamic, flexible system that will meet all your requirements, within the allocated budget.

The following 11 distance learning systems are free and may be of interest to you.

TOP 11 free distance learning systems for organizing e-learning

1. Moodle

Today, Moodle is undoubtedly one of the most popular open source LMS. user various toolbars, the ability to track student progress and multimedia support. The system makes it possible to create courses adapted for mobile phones, and is quite friendly to the integration of add-ons from third-party developers.

For those who want to make money with their courses, Moodle has an integration with the PayPal payment system, which makes the ordering and payment process simple and straightforward. Another important advantage of Moodle is the user community. Unlike many other free LMS, here you can almost instantly get answers to most of your questions by contacting the online technical support database.

In addition, the service offers a number of ready-made templates that you can use to save time and not create a course from scratch. Moodle may seem complicated and incomprehensible to you at first, but if you are looking for a program that gives the user the maximum amount of freedom, then do not be lazy and spend some time learning the Moodle interface.

2. E-STUDY - Electronic educational environment

The online platform for organizing distance learning E-STADI is a free Russian development of a team of like-minded people for the development of distance education.

To get started, you need to register on the site and create a "workspace" - a personal space of your company, which will host training materials and assignments for your students.

The difference from classic LMS is that the functionality is focused on practical work. Yo-Study, of course, allows you to publish educational materials, but most of the system is intended for all kinds of assessment and testing.

Yo-Study contains a sufficient number of tools for organizing training and testing:

"Workspace"
Course materials, announcements and assignments (cases) are published in the workspace. The workspace is created by the teacher/tutor/learning manager and can include several groups or courses. Students get access to the workspace by request.

"Test"
Yo-Study has powerful functionality for testing, the test can be created on the site or imported from *.docx after pre-forming in accordance with special rules. A detailed report of each test taker's responses is available. It is possible to limit the timing, time, number of attempts, the ability to switch between browser windows.

"File"
Uploading files/documents, which the teacher can then evaluate and comment on. The gradebook is automatically generated in the workspace, based on the created tasks and allows you to generate an Excel file.

"Magazine"
The journal is formed by the system on the basis of assignments created by the teacher. Grades enter the journal automatically when passing the test, this greatly facilitates the work of the teacher, and students always have access to the latest information.

"Forum"
When creating a "forum" as a task, it becomes possible to put marks next to the answer.

"Event Ribbon"
Events are collected on the corresponding page organized as a news feed, you can receive notifications about them by email.

Summary

Yo-Study is a new free e-learning environment designed to organize staff training.

Advantages:

Does not require installation / configuration;
the system is free;
easy to use;
powerful functionality for testing and evaluation;
does not require preliminary development of courses;
there is an English version.

Disadvantages:

Impossibility of self-improvement;
lack of SCORM support;
limited but sufficient functionality;

In general, Yo-Study deserves an excellent rating and is a good solution for small companies that want to organize staff training without any expenses for the acquisition of LMS.

3.ATutor

This distance learning system has many useful features: from email notifications to file storage. One of the most striking advantages of ATutor is its client-oriented approach and easy and intuitive interface, which makes this system an ideal tool for those who are just starting to master the world of e-learning.

Atutor also offers the user a number of pre-installed themes to speed up the process of creating a course. And we can not fail to note the various assessment tools, file backup, statistics and the ability to integrate surveys.

4 Eliademy

For teachers and curators of training, this system is completely free, a small fee is taken from users if they want to take advantage of the premium account.

Eliademy offers eLearning course catalogs, assessment tools, and even an Android mobile app for those educators looking to develop mobile courses and target people who prefer to learn on the go. E-learning coordinators can easily and easily upload courses and send invitations to students via their email addresses.

5. Form LMS

From the analysis of the general level of knowledge to detailed statistics and reporting, Forma LMS boasts a fairly large set of available functions. The service also has various certifications, competent leadership support, and a wide range of virtual classroom management tools, including various calendars and event managers.

This system is ideal for corporate training programs and offers access to an active online community where you can find many useful tips on how to get the most out of this service.

6. Dokeos

If you're looking for a distance learning system with pre-made course elements, Dokeos, available free of charge for groups of up to five users, is for you. This system offers many ready-made templates and e-learning courses and of course authoring tools with which you can minimize the time spent on creating your course.

On their website, the developers offer the user a lot of useful information, including step-by-step video instructions for creating their own courses. The intuitive interface makes Dokeos a great option for newbies to eLearning and those who don't want to waste time reading instructions.

7. ILIAS

This distance learning system can be called the first open system that complies with distance learning standards such as SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004. This flexible universal system meets all the basic requirements for successful sales of copyrighted courses.

It should be noted that ILIAS is one of the few distance learning systems that can be used as a full-fledged e-learning platform, thanks to the ability to communicate within the team and transfer and store all documents. The system is absolutely free for all organizations involved in e-learning, regardless of the number of users.

If you have hundreds or even thousands of people studying with you, this system will help you significantly reduce your expenses, since many other LMS charge a fee depending on the number of users.

8. Opigno

The opportunities provided by the Opigno system cannot but rejoice. Certificates, class schedules, forums, authoring e-learning tools, a grading system and video galleries are just a few of the impressive list of features available to the user.

This distance learning system is written in Drupal, a popular content management system. This gives you the ability to manage your curriculum, track student progress, and integrate e-commerce with just one tool.

Opigno also offers the user online surveys, the ability to send instant messages and chat, which makes it possible to quickly provide and receive feedback and effective cooperation.

9.OLAT

Assessment tools for e-learning, social inclusion, and a learner homepage are just a few of the many benefits of OLAT. In this system, you will also find a schedule, email notifications, the ability to add bookmarks, file storage and certificates.

With OLAT, you can easily and quickly add new users to the system, as well as develop comprehensive e-learning courses. Another interesting feature is the ability to check browser compatibility. With just a few clicks of a button, you can make sure that the learning material is displayed correctly in all browsers. OLAT is ideal for multi-platform e-learning courses designed for various devices.

The iSpring Online online learning platform is used by both private business coaches and large companies with a developed network of branches: Alfa Capital, Lamoda, PwC, Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network. are used by both private business coaches and large companies with a developed network of branches: Alfa Capital, Lamoda, PwC, Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network.

This is an Internet service, which means that you do not need to download the program, install it on the server, or configure it. To get started, just register on the site, download training materials and assign employees. One person can manage the SDO.

Features of iSpring Online:

Unlimited storage. In the LMS, you can download an unlimited number of educational materials: courses, videos, books, presentations.

Course editor in PowerPoint. The company has an editor in which you can make an electronic course from a PowerPoint presentation with videos, tests, interactive games.
Mobile learning. Courses can be opened on a computer, tablet, smartphone, even offline, for example, on a train or plane.

Detailed statistics. The system collects detailed statistics and helps to monitor the performance of employees. Reports show what courses the user has completed, what passing score he/she has scored, how many mistakes he/she made in the test.

Webinars. You can show a desktop, presentation or video, write to a general and private chat. The system automatically sends participants a reminder of the next online meeting and informs about the change in the schedule - everyone does not have to write personally. Webinar recordings are saved.

Disadvantages:

iSpring Online has a free 14-day trial, but the system is generally paid. However, it is unlikely that less money will be spent on a free LMS: you will have to spend money on your technical support, hire programmers to administer it.

In the case of a paid platform, you get a full service: they will help you deploy and configure the training portal, upload materials, and start training employees. Any question technical support staff will solve by phone.

Open source e-learning systems give you the ability to create and effectively develop e-learning courses, especially if you are willing to spend some time learning all the possible features of the system. In some cases, the use of such systems can affect the learning curve, but the cost savings and freedom in choosing the appearance and content of the course, in the end, covers all possible difficulties.

If a distance learning system has its own online community, feel free to check it out before you make a final decision to use a particular product.

11. Teachbase.

The Russian development of the distance learning system Teachbase has been recognized by more than a dozen companies. The service is ideal for solving corporate training tasks, but it is also applicable to private trainers. Teachbase is a remote access system, which means that it does not need to be installed on a computer, maintained and configured. You will need internet access and a computer or mobile device to create (or take) a course.

The key feature is simplicity. Everything is intuitive, thanks to a visual interface. Creating and launching a course on your own will take even a beginner no more than an hour. Issues that have arisen are promptly resolved by the employees of the "Internet School" (creators of the service). Free technical support is available via a communication channel convenient for the client.

Despite the simplicity of work, Teachbase has wide functionality. Available options:

- Personal account - for each of the participants. When you enter the service, the materials assigned for review are immediately visible.

- Testing after passing the material with the settings of the test parameters.

- Statistical reports for the course organizer to analyze and improve the course.

- User base with the ability to filter.

- Editors - educational materials can be processed directly in the system. By the way, the author is provided with free space on the server for remote storage of materials.

- Communication between users - using webinars, and other tools.

To get started with Teachbase, just register. You can start the course right away. The first 14 days from the date of registration are free - you can fully appreciate the benefits of the service and explore it. In the future, the tariff will depend on the number of participants. Most importantly, you pay only for active users.

There is also a free option to use Teachbase in the future. What is important - without any restrictions on functionality. Use the service for free if the number of active listeners is not more than 5 people per month. Few? Perhaps for some, yes, but for small companies, it is often quite enough.

To work with iSpring Online, no special training is required, the interface looks modern and intuitive. The system is ready for use immediately after registration on the site.

iSpring Online is used by both large companies with a developed network of branches, as well as private business coaches and tutors. For example, the system is used by RosEvroBank, Alfa Capital, Unilever Russia, Moscow Brewing Company, Lamoda, Kari, Biglion, etc.

Features of iSpring Online:

• Mobile learning. The training course can be run from any device: laptop, tablet and phone. A special mobile application provides access to educational materials even without an Internet connection, for example, on an airplane or train.
• . Live online broadcasts allow you to simultaneously train employees of all branches. Recordings of all webinars are saved and can be viewed at any time.
• Unlimited cloud storage. In LMS, you can upload any number of courses, videos.
• Detailed statistics. The system collects detailed statistics and helps you keep track of who is really studying and who is not. With its help, it is convenient to monitor the level of training in each unit and evaluate the performance of employees.
• Course quality control. The learning content reports will show you which topics in the course are too easy for users and which ones are too difficult. Using this data, you can update the course and improve learning efficiency.

Developers take into account the wishes of customers and release updates every 2-3 months, adding new features to the LMS.

2. Moodle

Moodle (modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment) - free learning management system distributed under the GNU General Public License.

The system implements the philosophy of "pedagogy of social constructionism" and is primarily focused on organizing interaction between the teacher and students, although it is also suitable for organizing traditional distance courses, as well as supporting full-time learning.

Moodle translated into dozens of languages, including Russian, and is used in 197 countries around the world.

Moodle is a program that allows you to integrate classroom learning entirely into the network using web technologies. Students will be able to truly learn by accessing a variety of classroom resources. Moodle allows you to effectively organize the learning process, using such opportunities as conducting seminars, tests, filling out electronic journals, including various objects and links from the Internet in the lesson, and many others.

3. TrainingWare Class: the first Russian open source LMS

4. Claroline LMS

Platform for electronic e-learning (eLearning) and electronic activity (eWorking), which allows teachers to create effective online courses and manage the learning process and collaborative activities based on web technologies. Translated into 35 languages, Claroline LMS has an extensive community of users and developers around the world.

Claroline LMS released under an Open Source license. It is used in hundreds of organizations in 90 countries. It allows you to create and administer courses online. Each course contains a number of tools that allow the teacher to:

• Specify course description
• Publish documents in any format (text, PDF, HTML, video...)
• Administer public and private forums
• Develop learning paths
• Organize students into groups
• Prepare online exercises (tasks) for students
• Manage agenda with tasks and due dates
• Publish announcements (also by e-mail)
• Post online information about current tasks
• View user activity statistics
• Use wiki technology to collaboratively write documents

Claroline LMS used not only by schools and universities, but also by training centers, associations and companies. The platform is customizable and offers a flexible environment for custom development.

5. Dokeos

• Official site: www.dokeos.com
• Support: IMS/SCORM
• Platform: PHP, MySQL
• Demo site:
• Login/password: admin/demo

A platform for building distance learning websites based on the Claroline fork (version 1.4.2.). A branch is a clone of a free software product created to change the original application in one direction or another.

Dokeos is the result of the work of some members of the original Claroline development team who conceived:

Change application orientation. Now it will suit organizations rather than universities. The fact is that Claroline is perfectly adapted to the university environment, which is reflected in the support of a large number of students and courses. Dokeos, in our opinion, is more focused on professional clientele, for example, on the staff of the enterprise;

Organize (rather put up for sale) a set of additional services for the platform. The name Dokeos refers both to the application and to the community that offers a set of different services to the platform: hosting, content integration, development of additional modules, technical support, etc.

Dokeos is free because the Claroline license (GNU/GPL) suggests that the branches are covered by the same license. Since the branch was recently separated, both applications are now relatively similar to each other, although some differences in ergonomics, interface construction, and functionality are already beginning to appear.

An example of the implementation of Dokeos is the website of the University of Ghent. www.ugent.be/en.

5.ATutor

• Official website: www.atutor.ca
• Support: IMS/SCORM
• Current version: 1.5.2
• Application languages: PHP , JAVA
• DBMS: MySQL
• License: GNU General Public License (GPL)
• Russian language support: yes
• Demo site: http://www.atutor.ca/atutor/demo/login. php
• Login/password: demo/demo

The system was created by Canadian developers. Includes all the necessary e-learning tools. There is a Russian version.

6. ILIAS

• Official website: www.ilias.de/ios/index-e. html #ilias.
• Support: IMS/SCORM
• Current version: 3.8.0
• Application languages: PHP
• DBMS: MySQL
• License: GNU General Public License (GPL)
• Russian language support: yes

7. SAKAI

• Official site: http://www.sakaiproject.org/
• Support: IMS/SCORM
• Platform: Java
• DBMS: MySQL, Oracle, hsqldb
• License: GNU General Public License (GPL)
• Russian language support: yes

8.LAMS

• Official site: http://www.lamscommunity.org
• Current version: 2
• Application languages: Java
• DBMS: MySQL
• License: GNU General Public License (GPL)
• Russian language support: no
• Demo site: http://lamsinternational.com/demo/intro_to_lams. html

The IMS Learning Design specification was prepared in 2003. It is based on the results of the work of the Open University of the Netherlands (OUNL) on the language of educational modeling "Educational Modeling Language" (EML), which describes the "metamodel" of the development of the educational process.

Based on this specification, the Learning Activity Management System (LAMS) was created. LAMS provides educators with visual tools for designing the structure of the learning process, allowing them to set the sequence of learning activities.

LAMS is a revolutionary new application for creating and managing e-learning resources. It provides the teacher with an intuitive interface for creating educational content, which can include various individual tasks, tasks for group work and frontal work with a group of students.

9.OLAT

• Official site: http://www.olat.org
• Current version: 5.1.3
• Standards : SCORM/IMS (IMS Content Packaging, IMS QTI)
• Application languages: Java
• DBMS: MySQL, PostgreSQL
• License: GNU General Public License (GPL)
• Russian language support: yes
• Demo site: http://demo.olat.org

The development of the system began in 1999 at the University of Zurich (Switzerland), where it is the main educational e-learning platform.

10.OpenACS

• Official site: http://openacs.org
• Current version: 5.3.1
• DBMS: ORACLE
• License: GNU General Public License (GPL)
• Russian language support: yes

The Open Architecture Community System is a system for developing scalable, portable educational resources. It is the basis for many companies and universities involved in the use of e-learning technologies.

11.LRN

• Official site: http://dotlrn.org
• Current version: 2.2.1
• DBMS: ORACLE
• Download LiveCD: http://e-lane.org/pub/knoppix-elane_EN_2005-10-12.iso
• Russian language support: yes

The site offers the option to download a LiveCD to try the system locally on your home computer.

12. COSE

• Official website: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/COSE/
• Current version: 2.1
• Application languages: PERL , JAVA

13. LON-CAPA

• It is possible to install via the repository: for FC6 http://install.loncapa.org/versions/fedora/6/FC6_loncapa_yum.conf
• Application languages: PERL

14. ELEDGE

• Official site:
• Developer: University of Utah
• Current version: 3.1.0
• Application languages: Java
• DBMS: MySQL

Not updated since 2003

15. Colloquia

• Official site: http://www.colloquia.net/
• Current version: 1.4.3
• Application languages: JAVA
• Russian language support: no

The topic of online learning is regularly raised on Habré. But the problem of organizing distance education is also relevant for business, and on a scale that is a thousand times greater than the needs of an ordinary student. Imagine, for example, the tasks of a chain of clothing stores that has more than 200 outlets in Russia: when a new line of clothing is released, it is necessary to train the directors of branches throughout the country - how to sell it, what techniques to use, how best to place it in stores, what trends to tell sellers and etc. Face-to-face training is long, logistically difficult and, as a result, expensive. However, it is not for me to tell you about the advantages of online. In this review, we will tell you about modern Russian online and boxed services for organizing online corporate training.

First, a little terminology: in Russian legislation, the concept of distance learning has existed since 1992. However, the concept of e-learning is still not in it, so there is a slight discrepancy in concepts that is usual for such situations. We will use the UNESCO definition: "E-learning is learning with the help of the Internet and multimedia." The classification of e-learning solutions is as follows:


Let's go in order:

Initially, the system developed exclusively as a boxed version (and the boxed version makes up most of the sales now), but recently SaaS offers have appeared, which, nevertheless, is used for the most part to demonstrate the capabilities of the same boxed software.

The disadvantages of the WebTutor system are high cost; long process of system implementation (from 3-6 months); inconvenient interface; poor customization of the service, requiring additional costs from the client; complex system of unloading reports; the main module does not include the ability to conduct web conferences (a Websoft virtual class costs from 6900 rubles), etc.

The pricing of the boxed version does not depend on the number of users, but is determined only by the list of required modules. The cost of the SaaS version depends on the number of users, the required modules and the subscription period (75,000-115,000 rubles for six months when renting the basic system configuration). There is also a SaaS version of the system with limited administration capabilities (from 4900 rubles per month).

• eLearning Server, iWebinar by HyperMethod

eLearning Server is designed to organize a full cycle of distance and blended learning (including course preparation, testing and assessment of students, materials management, etc.). iWebinar is a real-time Internet video conferencing tool that can be integrated with a training center based on eLearning Server. All presented products are supplied only in the boxed version.

• Distance learning system "Prometheus" of the company "Virtual Technologies in Education"

LMS "Prometheus" is an exclusively boxed software product that allows you to organize the process of distance learning (using the functions of content management, testing, planning the educational process, etc.). When purchasing LMS "Prometheus", the customer pays for the purchase of a license for the server, the number of users is not limited.

Of course, there are also free options for boxed solutions. This is:

Open source boxed services

The most popular is the long-known Moodle service, on the basis of which any company can deploy its own elearning solution.

We will continue to talk about the use of moodle in the future, since this is really the most popular platform in the world. But we want to note that many, preferring moodle due to the fact that it is free, do not think about indirect costs - such as their own technical support, the work of their specialists in setting up and finishing the service. And this is actually a lot of money and a lot of time.

• Moodle by Moodle Pty LTD

This is freeware software, the development and addition of functionality of which is carried out by programmers on a voluntary basis, as well as employees of the developer company, which receives income from official partners involved in installing and supporting the system. The system is translated into Russian and has over 600 connections in Russia. The functionality of the system includes a standard set of modules that provide management of distance learning (creation of courses, export / import of grades and texts, course reports, etc.). By type, this is a boxed solution that requires the installation of special software.

Services without Russian-language support

In a separate category, we single out foreign services. World leaders in the field of online conferences have an unconditional advantage in the market in terms of sophistication of applications, the breadth of functionality, the size of the client base, however, the lack of a Russian-language interface and support in Russian makes them of little use for the domestic market - this is rather an option for international companies with a mandatory English at all levels.

• WebEx, Cisco Systems MeetingPlace

Over three million users. The system integrates the ability to conduct surveys and testing during communication sessions. Voice communication is made using VOIP technology or using a telephone bridge. It is technically possible to have up to 5000 users at a time, standard solutions offer only up to 3000 (WebEx Events Center), 1000 (WebEx Training Center) and 500 users (WebEx Meeting Center). Recently, WebEx has been offered exclusively as a service from 1,500 rubles. per month for 25 users. There is a specialized training solution - WebEx Training Center - with the ability to manage content, conduct tests, track progress, etc. The key drawback of the solution is the lack of an interface in Russian.

• GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar, GoToTraining by Citrix Online

Three variants of the product are offered, differing in functionality and the maximum number of users. GoToMeeting - up to 15 participants, the possibility of interactive interaction during the conference is significantly limited. Cost from $49 per month (1500 rubles) GoToWebinar - up to 1000 participants, focused on mass events. Cost from $99 per month (3000 rubles) GoToTraining - up to 200 participants, the closest solution to the system being developed, focused on educational processes. In addition to the webinar capabilities, it offers functionality for storing materials, conducting tests, etc. The cost is from $149 per month (3500 rubles). This product is not presented on the Russian market and does not have an interface in Russian. Add tags

Expert: in Information Technology and Educational Video

Distance learning systems have long been known to university professors. But schools have recently discovered e-learning. With the help of distance learning technologies, it is possible not only to shift a number of routine pedagogical actions onto the shoulders of a computer, but also to organize truly high-quality, individual, differentiated learning. Our article today is devoted to an overview of the three most famous free systems distance learning.

Distance learning system Moodle

Distance learning system Moodle

Short description

We will start our review of distance learning services with Moodle - this is one of the most popular distance learning systems in Russia (abbreviated as LMS).

The advantages of this method:

• no need to install anything - register and get a ready-to-work system;
• there is a free plan;
• there is support for the Russian language;
• there is a video conferencing plugin;
• automatic update (a trifle, but nice).

However, you may encounter certain disadvantages of the cloud service:

• a third-level domain that is difficult for students to remember;
• only 50 registered users (for a school this is very small);
• there is no way to install your modules;
• There are ads that you can't turn off.

Edmodo

Distance learning system Edmodo

The next thing we'll look at is the Edmodo web application, as a special service on the Internet that does not need to be installed anywhere. Edmodo positions itself as a social network for education or Facebook for education - it is built on the principle of social educational networks, and the interface resembles the appearance of Facebook.

Characteristic Edmodo

The logic of work in this application is as follows. The teacher creates a group (in fact, this is an electronic course). The group has its own unique link and code that you need to share with other participants in the educational process. A group can have learning elements such as records (in the form of a test or files), tests, assignments, and surveys. You can import content from other services, such as news feeds from your school website, YouTube videos, content from other services.

There are no special bells and whistles in Edmodo, but there are simple and necessary elements - a calendar (for fixing educational events, a journal for grading, the ability to check homework, etc.).

Advantages and disadvantages of Edmodo

Let's outline the benefits of the service:

• free;
• no ads;
• simple registration;
• users are divided into three groups: teachers, students, parents (each group has its own separate registration, its own access code).

There are also certain disadvantages:

• lack of Russian language - although the interface is simple and understandable, English can be a serious obstacle to implementation;
• Edmodo groups cannot be combined, i.e. the student will have a bunch of inconvenient (and they are inconvenient) links, with a bunch of codes;
• in general, the arsenal of educational elements, although sufficient, is relatively poor - the same tests do not contain additional strategies, there are no thematic tests, etc.

Edmodo has some admin tools. Perhaps they will make it possible to create a unified electronic school environment based on this application, which can greatly facilitate the introduction of distance learning in an educational institution.

Google classroom

Distance learning system Google Classroom

Our review ends with an application from one of the leaders in the IT industry. It should be noted here that Google previously had a large number of educational tools in its arsenal. At some stage, Google decided to combine all these tools into a certain platform, which resulted in the creation of Google Classroom. Therefore, Classroom can hardly be called a classic distance learning system, it is more like a collaboration tape - the same Google for education, only collected in one place. Therefore, Google Classroom is ineffective, it cannot be particularly surprising, and the organization of truly effective collaboration requires, in my opinion, a lot of effort from the teacher and, most importantly, a significant restructuring of the educational process.

Previously, Google Classroom had a relatively complex registration system and user access to the course, but about six months ago, Google opened up free registration and now access to Classroom is as easy as Facebook.

Other features of Google include:

• using only Google tools (Google drive, Google docs, etc.);
• participants in the educational process create a shared folder “Class” on Google Drive;
• the “Class” folder is available both for an individual student and for the class as a whole.

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the advantages of the solution from Google are:

• support for the Russian language (the same Edmodo exists longer and has a better interface, but it never became popular due to the lack of support for the great and mighty);
• free;
• brand - everyone knows Google and the use of the world leader's products looks solid;
• Google was created specifically for schools, unlike Moodle, which is more suitable for universities;
• The traditional functions of Google are implemented well: it is possible to publish theoretical material, assignments, grades in a journal, there is a calendar.

Let's highlight the disadvantages of such a solution:

• very poor arsenal of educational elements. One of the poorest sets of training elements. On the other hand, if we consider it as a collaboration feed, then the main thing in Google will be the organization of collaboration, and not control elements such as tests (which, by the way, Google does not have);
• links to Classroom are not convenient;
• The interface leaves much to be desired.

Tests in Google Classroom

There are no tests in Google, so many people create tests based on Google Forms. It is designed to create polls, but with a certain amount of imagination, polls turn into tests with a flick of the wrist….. I recommend trying OnLineTestPad, a self-hosted web service for creating tests.

OnLineTestPad

This is a free online testing service. The network nature of testing means that you have all the data about the attempts of students, all their grades, all their correct and incorrect answers. Let's briefly outline the features of OnLineTestPad:

• the service has a large number of forms of test tasks (there are no only graphic questions);
  flexible settings (there are training testing strategies, there are random (thematic) questions, various restrictions, etc.);
• The main disadvantage is a huge amount of advertising. You can try to turn it off by "legal" actions, but this requires additional labor.
• this service causes positive feedback from teachers and teachers, is one of the best services for organizing testing.

Moodle is free software for creating and managing a course. The software is open source and available for modification. It is used by thousands of educators to provide an organized e-learning or web-based learning interface.
The app allows educators to create online courses that students can take as a virtual classroom. Typically, the application's home page will include a list of participants (including instructor and students) and a calendar with a course schedule and a list of assignments.

Other features of Moodle include online quizzes, forums where students can post comments and ask questions, glossaries of terms, and links to other web resources.

Over 30,000 educational organizations around the world have already used Moodle as a stable and reliable software for creating and implementing online learning. This software has a modular object-oriented dynamic environment.

You can use the tools and functions available in the application to create an efficient class. One of the nice things about Moodle is that previous courses can be reused. This will save you time and energy.

How to create learning materials for Moodle

Moodle has standard tools for creating curricula, tests, and surveys. Their disadvantage is a complex interface. To understand all the functions, you will need time to read the documentation, watch webinars and video instructions. From the first time, a beginner will not be able to assemble a high-quality electronic course.

Another disadvantage is the limited possibilities. In Moodle, you cannot mount a video lesson, assemble slide courses or software simulation, and there are only 9 types of questions in tests. This is a knowledge base, not a content development workshop.

To quickly prepare training materials for Moodle, it is better to use additional tools, such as the iSpring Suite constructor. With it, you will assemble an electronic course, video tutorial, test, interactive simulator from a simple presentation.

iSpring Suite is built into PowerPoint. After installing the program, a separate tab appears in PowerPoint:

Come here, add videos, pictures, tests, various interactivity to the presentation. Click the "Publish" button - the course in SCORM or Tin Can format is ready, it remains to upload it to Moodle. You can study the material on any device - it automatically adjusts to the screen of your tablet or phone.

The iSpring Flip e-book and textbook creation program is useful if you need to quickly convey information to employees or students and do not have time to assemble an electronic course.

The program publishes books in HTML5 and SCORM format. By uploading them to Moodle, you can follow the reports of user learning: how many pages they read, how much time they spent reading, and so on.

How to create an eBook in iSpring Flip

iSpring programs can be used free of charge for 14 days. The functionality is unlimited.

Conclusions: with the help of Moodle you can start online learning for free. In case of difficulties, you can always look through the user manual and find the necessary instructions for working with the software. However, to create training materials, it is better to use additional tools.