Frequently Asked Questions
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The following is a list of frequently asked questions and answers that can help you when using the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site and materials listed on the site. If you have other questions about this site please email ocwfeedback@novell.com.
About Novell OpenCourseWare
- What is Novell OpenCourseWare?
- Why is Novell doing this?
- How does Novell OpenCourseWare differ from other types of Web-based education, including distance learning?
- What are the long-term goals of the Novell OpenCourseWare initiative?
- Will Novell OpenCourseWare always be free and openly available to anyone in the world?
- Will inquiries to Novell OpenCourseWare be answered?
Using Novell OpenCourseWare Materials
- Do I need to create a login account to use Novell OpenCourseWare course materials?
- Where are the course materials?
- How do I find what courses are available?
- How can I use Novell OpenCourseWare course materials?
- What are the prerequisites to use Novell OpenCourseWare materials?
- How do I get a copy of a student kit for a particular Novell OpenCourseWare course?
- I have seen (or I am/represent) an individual, organization, or institution that offers to teach Novell OpenCourseWare courses or tutor students based on Novell OpenCourseWare materials. Does Novell OpenCourseWare approve or recognize such individuals or organizations?
- Can I/my organization state on our Web site or in our literature that we make use of Novell OpenCourseWare course materials?
- Can I link to the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site from my Web site?
- Why do I need to create a Novell Login account before downloading or accessing files from the Novell Web site (www.novell.com)?
Intellectual Property
- Who owns the intellectual property published on the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site?
- What are the Terms of Use for Novell OpenCourseWare users?
- How does Novell define non-commercial use?
- How do I properly cite my reuse of Novell OpenCourseWare materials?
- How can I contribute my own educational materials to the Novell OpenCourseWare site?
- What do I do if I believe a portion of Novell OpenCourseWare material infringes my copyright?
Translations
Usability
- What are the technical requirements for viewing Novell OpenCourseWare course materials?
- What is metadata and why is it important to Novell OpenCourseWare?
- How do I change the font-size on the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site?
- Will the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site be compliant with W3C standards and accessibility requirements?
- Why does a PDF not open correctly in my copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader?
Privacy and Data Collection
- What information does Novell collect from visitors to the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site?
- What are "cookies," and does Novell make use of cookies on its Novell OpenCourseWare Web site?
- Does Novell OpenCourseWare share the information it receives?
Technology
- What technology is used to publish the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site?
- Is eduCommons an open source project?
- What is RSS?
About Novell OpenCourseWare
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What is Novell OpenCourseWare?
Novell OpenCourseWare is a library of educational materials developed by Novell Training Services for authorized courses and other customer training purposes. By making these materials available to the public, we hope to extend to all people worldwide the opportunity to access these high quality learning materials.
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Why is Novell doing this?
Novell supports the Open Education community commitment to serve the public through learning, discovery, and engagement. Joining the OpenCourseWare Consortium and providing an OpenCourseWare site enables Novell Training Services to more fully accomplish this goal.
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How does Novell OpenCourseWare differ from other types of education offerings, including distance learning?
Novell OpenCourseWare differs from other Novell Training Services offerings in that it is free and open, does not provide certification or other recognition for achievement, and grants no access to our Novell Training instructors or support staff.
Novell OpenCourseWare is not a distance-learning initiative. Distance learning involves the active exchange of information between instructor and students, with the goal of obtaining some form of a credential or certification. Increasingly, distance learning is also limited to those willing and able to pay for materials or course delivery.
Novell OpenCourseWare is not meant to replace in-class, online, or supported self-study learning methods. Rather, the goal is to provide the content that supports these training efforts to all individuals who want to advance their knowledge and skills, regardless of ability to pay for Novell training services.
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What are the long-term goals of the Novell OpenCourseWare initiative?
Novell OpenCourseWare is part of a larger Open Education initiative sponsored by Novell Training Services that includes Open Access (such as the Novell OpenCourseWare site) and Open Collaboration on development of training materials. We expect the library of Novell OpenCourseWare materials to eventually encompass all educational materials developed by Novell Training Services that can be practically shared and reused by others.
Another goal of Novell OpenCourseWare is to encourage the development of groups or communities around the course materials. Individuals participating in these informal groups can coach, mentor, and support each other in their learning, adding significant value to the materials themselves.
Finally, we feel a strong commitment to the Open Education community to extend the reach and impact of the worldwide OpenCourseWare initiative.
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Will Novell OpenCourseWare always be free and openly available to anyone in the world?
We are committed to Novell OpenCourseWare remaining a free and openly available publication of the course materials that support the dynamic classroom interactions of our training classes. Even as we continue to grow and evolve, the materials will always remain free and open to all.
Along with this commitment to remaining free and open, Novell is also committed to the idea that Novell OpenCourseWare is not a distance-learning, or a certification-granting initiative.
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Will my questions submitted to Novell OpenCourseWare feedback be answered?
Yes. Questions will be answered within a reasonable period of time. Novell OpenCourseWare encourages you to provide feedback on the site and the published course materials. Your comments and constructive criticism will help us improve the site and published course materials as we continue to evolve.
Using Novell OpenCourseWare Materials
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Do I need to create a login account to use Novell OpenCourseWare course materials?
Because Novell OpenCourseWare is not a distance-learning site, or a certification-granting initiative, you do not currently need to create a login account to view and download course materials. However, this may change as we develop additional features that require a login account. Novell OpenCourseWare is a publication of the course materials that support our authorized training, and is available, free of charge, to any user anywhere in the world.
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Where are the course materials?
To find what courses are currently available, view the complete course list. Once you have accessed a particular course site, the left-hand navigation bar of each course homepage details what materials are available for that individual course.
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How do I find what courses are available?
You can utilize the Search function in the upper-right corner of the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site homepage. You can search for specific text, such as specific Novell technology, across all courses or within just one course. To perform a detailed search, you can use our Advanced Search.
To see what courses are available, select Courses in the top navigation bar on every page of the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site.
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How can I use Novell OpenCourseWare course materials?
Educators are encouraged to utilize the materials for curriculum development, students can augment their current learning by making use of the materials offered, and self-learners are encouraged to draw upon the Novell OpenCourseWare materials for self-study or supplementary use.
If you are considering use of the materials for commercial purposes, you will need to receive permission by contacting Novell Training Services at ocwfeedback@novell.com.
If you are an authorized Novell Training Partner, contact Novell Training Services by email at TrainingPartner@novell.com.
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What are the prerequisites to use Novell OpenCourseWare materials?
Because Novell OpenCourseWare is not a distance-learning, or a certification-granting initiative, there is no registration process required for you to view course materials. However, some courses do list technical knowledge and skills that are prerequisite to taking full advantage of the educational materials available.
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How do I get a copy of a student kit for a particular Novell OpenCourseWare course?
Student kits that accompany many of the Novell OpenCourseWare courses are available for purchase as self-study kits. If you are interested in completing the exercises outside a classroom, you can purchase a Self-Study Kit, which includes printed manuals, setup instructions, and all the CDs and DVDs you need to set up your own practice environment and complete the exercises.
Most importantly, Novell Training Services support is included with your purchase to help you with any problems you might have setting up the practice environment or completing the exercises.
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I have seen (or I am/represent) an individual, organization, or institution that offers to teach Novell OpenCourseWare courses or tutor students based on Novell OpenCourseWare materials. Does Novell OpenCourseWare approve or recognize such individuals or organizations?
Novell Training Services provides customers authorized training through our own Novell Training Services instructors or through authorized training partners. You can find specific authorized partners at our Authorized Training Partner Web site.
All others have no authorized relationship with Novell Training Services, and we grant no special permission to, or do not approve, endorse, or certify any organizations, teachers, tutors, or other service providers who use educational materials available on the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site but who are not listed in the training locator.
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Can I/my organization state on our Web site or in our literature that we make use of Novell OpenCourseWare course materials?
To reference Novell OpenCourseWare materials you must comply with the terms of the license associated with Novell OpenCourseWare and/or the specific course materials. Typically you must give credit to Novell, Inc. as the copyright owner of the course materials anytime you use Novell OpenCourseWare materials.
For your convenience, each Novell OpenCourseWare page includes a citation appropriate for the page at the bottom of the content. However, any reference to Novell OpenCourseWare (including the Novell name in any of its forms or Novell seals or logos) that deliberately or inadvertently claims, suggests, or in Novell's sole judgment gives the appearance or impression of a relationship with or endorsement by Novell or Novell Training Services, is prohibited.
[See also Intellectual Property]
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Can I link to the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site from my Web site?
Links to Novell OpenCourseWare or to courses or pages within the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site are permitted so long as the use of the materials associated with the link is permitted under the terms of the license associated with the course materials or particlar content.
Typically, course materials are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license 2.5. However, individual course materials may have a separate license. Please check the bottom of the page to view the applicable license for any particular item. For your convenience, each Novell OpenCourseWare page includes a citation appropriate for the page at the bottom of the content.
In addition to meeting the terms of the license, links to Novell OpenCourseWare are permitted as long as the link is freely accessible (e.g., no restrictions or fee for access); and there is no claim, appearance, or implication of an affiliation with or endorsement by Novell or Novell Training Services. Novell OpenCourseWare cannot guarantee the persistence of any specific link other than the link to the Novell OpenCourseWare homepage.
[See also Intellectual Property]
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Why do I need to create a Novell Login account before downloading or accessing files from the Novell Web site (www.novell.com)?
Not all files you need for a Novell OpenCourseWare course are available from the Novell OpenCourseWare site. We often provide links to the Novell web site (www.novell.com) for downloading larger files (such as DVDs or CDs). However, to download these files, you first need to create a Novell Login Account.
A Novell Login Account gives you the ability to access all of the secure Novell web sites to which you have rights (including downloadable files) with a single user ID and password.
The first time you visit a Novell web page that requires a login account, follow the instructions for creating an account (it only takes a few minutes). You only need to create the account once. After creating the Novell Login Account, you can use the account username and password to download files for other courses listed on the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site.
Intellectual Property
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Who owns the intellectual property published on the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site?
Prior to making any course materials publicly available, the Novell OpenCourseWare team has reviewed all material extensively to determine the correct ownership of the material and obtain the appropriate licenses to make the material openly available on the Web. We will promptly remove any material that is determined to be infringing on the rights of others [See also What do I do if I believe a portion of Novell OpenCourseWare material infringes my copyright?].
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What are the Terms of Use for Novell OpenCourseWare users?
See the Terms of Use for more information.
If you would like to use Novell OpenCourseWare course materials, but you are unsure whether your intended use qualifies as non-commercial use, please contact us using the feedback page or email ocwfeedback@novell.com.
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How does Novell define non-commercial use?
A commercial use would involve the assessment of a direct or indirect fee for use of the Novell OpenCourseWare materials, or any derivation or modification of the Novell OpenCourseWare material (including translations), or any other commercial exploitation of Novell OpenCourseWare materials. All uses, reuse, and distribution of Novell OpenCourseWare material, including works derived from Novell OpenCourseWare material, must be attributed to Novell, Inc. and to Novell Training Services.
If you would like to use Novell OpenCourseWare course materials, but you are unsure whether your intended use qualifies as non-commercial use, please contact us using the feedback link at the top of the page.
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How do I properly cite my reuse of Novell OpenCourseWare materials?
To reuse or repost materials from Novell OpenCourseWare, confirm that the license allows for the use you intend. If the license permits reuse, you must give proper attribution to Novell, Inc. and Novell Training Services.
For your convenience, at the bottom of each page, we provide a citation in APA format, a copyright statement and a license for that page.
Or you may chose to cite the resource in the following manner: "This material was created by or adapted from material created by Novell Training Services. Copyright © (Year) Novell, Inc. All rights reserved"
As an example, the citation for the "Migrating to Novell Open Enterprise Server for Linux" course would read
This material was created or adapted from material created by Novell Training Services. Copyright © 2007 Novell, Inc. All rights reserved.
If you want to use the course materials on your Web site, and the materials are licensed using a Creative Commons license, you must also include a copy of the Creative Commons license, or clear and reasonable link to its URL (for example, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/), with every copy of the materials or the derivative work(s) you create from it.
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How can I contribute my own educational materials to the Novell OpenCourseWare site?
Novell OpenCourse is currently dedicated to publishing content created by Novell Training Services. The reason for this policy is that we take final responsibility for these materials. It would be difficult for Novell OpenCourseWare to guarantee the accuracy and originality of materials we received from outside sources.
However, as part of our Open Education initiative, we are interested in working with those outside Novell Training Services to develop new OpenCourseWare materials under an Open Collaboration model, or translate existing materials on our OpenCourseware site. If you are interested in helping us develop or translate training materials under this model, please contact us using the feedback link at the top of the page.
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What do I do if I believe a portion of Novell OpenCourseWare material infringes my copyright?
Novell OpenCourseWare, prior to making any Novell OpenCourseWare materials publicly available, has reviewed all material extensively to determine the correct ownership of the material and obtain the appropriate licenses to make the material available on Novell OpenCourseWare.
Novell will promptly remove any material that is determined to be infringing on the rights of others. If you believe that a portion of Novell OpenCourseWare material infringes on your copyright, please contact us using the feedback page or email ocwfeedback@novell.com.
To file the notification, you must be either the copyright owner of the work or an individual authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner. Your notification must include:
- Identification of the copyrighted work, or, in the case of multiple works at the same location, a representative list of such works at that site.
- Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity. You must include sufficient information, such as a specific URL or other specific identification, for us to locate the material.
- Information for us to be able to contact the claimant (e.g., email address, phone number).
- A statement that the claimant believes that the use of the material has not been authorized by the copyright owner or an authorized agent.
- A statement that the information in the notification is accurate and that the claimant is, or is authorized to act on behalf of, the copyright owner.
If you do not include an electronic signature with your claim, you may be asked to send or fax a follow-up copy with a signature.
Translations
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Can I translate the course materials in the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site?
You may translate course materials available from the Novell OpenCourseWare site by the course materials license. Any materials on the Novell OpenCourseWare site made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike license can be translated for non-commercial purposes and should be made available to others for non-commercial purposes.
Any Novell OpenCourseWare materials translated into other languages from the original language must be accompanied by the proper attribution of the original materials and include the following disclaimer:
"These Novell OpenCourseWare materials have been translated into [YOUR LANGUAGE] by [YOUR INSTITUTION]. Novell, Inc. makes no representations or warranties of any kind concerning the materials, express or implied, including, without limitation, warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, or the absence of errors, whether or not discoverable. Novell Training Services bears no responsibility for any inaccuracies in translation. Any inaccuracies or other defects contained in this material, due to inaccuracies in language translation, are the sole responsibility of [YOUR INSTITUTION] and not Novell, Inc."
[See Also How do I properly cite my reuse of Novell OpenCourseWare materials]
Usability
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What are the technical requirements for viewing Novell OpenCourseWare course materials?
The majority of Novell OpenCourseWare course pages work in most Web browsers on Linux, Windows, and Macintosh platforms. We have tested the Novell OpenCourseWare site with Mozilla Firefox 1.x/2.x and Internet Explorer version 6 browsers.
Although higher-speed connections are preferable, slower connections, such as modems, should allow users to view and download most materials on the sites (however, downloading or accessing materials may take somewhat longer).
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What is metadata and why is it important to Novell OpenCourseWare?
Metadata is, literally, "data about data." Metadata can be better understood as information that describes other information. For example, this Web page of FAQs for Novell OpenCourseWare has an author, a title, a date of creation, and a unique Internet address; this information constitutes the metadata about this page. Metadata enables sophisticated, powerful, and accurate searches across Novell OpenCourseWare course materials.
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How do I change the font-size on the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site?
The fonts and style of the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site have been specifically selected to meet certain design and accessibility standards. The Novell OpenCourseWare team has tested the site and these standards across a wide variety of browsers and platform. However, you might still find that your browser configurations continue to display the text too small.
You can change the displayed font size using your browser's View menu. In Netscape 7, there is a "VIEW - Text-Zoom" selection (try 120%). In Firefox 1.x, there is a "VIEW - Text Size - Increase" selection. In Internet Explorer, you can select "VIEW - Text-Size - Larger or Largest." We hope this helps you to more comfortably view the Novell OpenCourseWare course materials.
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Will the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site be compliant with W3C standards and accessibility requirements?
All course materials published on the Novell OpenCourseWare site are checked to see if they are valid XHTML and meet Section 508 and WAI-AA guidelines as part of the authoring process. We require all images to contain ALT attributes and all links to contain TITLE tags.
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Why does a PDF not open correctly in my copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader?
A small percentage of the PDF documents offered on the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site may be compatible only with newer versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you would like to view such a file, we recommend downloading the latest version of the Acrobat Reader from the Adobe Web site at http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html.
Privacy and Data Collection
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What information does Novell collect from visitors to the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site?
The information we learn from visitors helps us improve the Novell OpenCourseWare site, and assists us in evaluation of usage, access, and impact of Novell OpenCourseWare on the worldwide educational community. Novell OpenCourseWare collects the following information from visitors:
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Information You Provide: We receive and store any information you enter on our Web site or give us in any other way. You provide most such information when you submit feedback on the site, contact us by email, or agree to participate in a visitor survey. This information may include your name and email address, your institution, your geographic region, how you are using Novell OpenCourseWare, and what you think of Novell OpenCourseWare. In all cases, any information you provide is strictly optional and voluntary and you may choose to use the Novell OpenCourseWare site without ever providing this information. If you voluntarily provide your email address or other contact information, we will not share personal information with anyone without first requesting your explicit permission to do so.
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Automatic Information: We receive and store certain types of information whenever you interact with the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site. Examples of the information we collect and analyze include the Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the Novell OpenCourseWare site; computer and connection information such as browser type and version, operating system, and platform, and; content you viewed or searched for during your visit to Novell OpenCourseWare. During some visits we may use software tools to measure and collect session information, including page response times, download errors, and length of visits to certain pages. However, none of this information is personally identifiable or linked back to you individually.
[See Also Privacy Policy]
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What are "cookies," and does Novell make use of cookies on its Novell OpenCourseWare Web site?
Novell OpenCourseWare uses "cookies" in a limited way. Cookies are alphanumeric identifiers that this Web site transfers to your computer's hard drive through your Web browser to enable our systems to recognize your browser when you make return trips to the site. This allows us to track your use of the site (anonymously), and to analyze patterns in site use, such as repeat visits, length of visits, and breadth of content used, for example). Cookies also allow us to conduct periodic, online, voluntary user surveys where we can gain more insight into what type of people are actually using the site, how they are using the site, and what the educational impact of the site is on these users.
Novell OpenCourseWare's use of cookies is designed to be unobtrusive, and we do not collect personally identifiable information through their use. However, if you do not wish to accept cookies, the "Help" portion of the toolbar on most Web browsers will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie, or how to disable cookies altogether. Disabling cookies will in no way affect your access to content on the Novell OpenCourseWare site. If you leave cookies enabled on your Web browser, you may be asked to complete a brief questionnaire that will help us gain a better understanding of the use and impact of Novell OpenCourseWare.
[See Also Privacy Policy]
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Does Novell OpenCourseWare share the information it receives?
Information about our site visitors is an important part of understanding and extending the impact of Novell OpenCourseWare in the worldwide Open Education community. Individual personally identifiable information about users (name, email address, etc) will not be made available to third parties except as outlined below, nor will it ever be used for commercial purposes. We share user information only as described below.
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Agents: We sometimes employ companies and individuals to perform functions on our behalf. Examples include compiling and categorizing user feedback, analyzing survey data or data about your use of the site, and providing customer support. These agents have access to user information needed to perform their functions, for example, but may not use this information for any other purposes. These agents are bound by non-disclosure agreements.
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Institutions interested in the OpenCourseWare community and Open Education initiative: Part of Novell Training Services' mission as an organization is to encourage other institutions (corporate and educational) to openly share their course materials with the world, as we are doing. In order to accomplish this objective, we are committed to sharing what we learn in public forums, at industry and educational conferences, and with other corporate and educational institutions. This may include aggregate data about usage of the site, feedback we have received, and the impact of Novell OpenCourseWare on people throughout the world. However, in no case will we share any personally identifiable information, such as name or email address, unless you have given us explicit permission to do so.
[See Also Privacy Policy]
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Technology
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What technology is used to publish the Novell OpenCourseWare Web site?
EduCommons OCW runs on the open source eduCommons software. The current technical solution has been in use since January 2005 with a small technical team managing all aspects of this infrastructure at the Center for Open and Sustainable Learning (http://cosl.usu.edu/) at Utah State University.
For more information on eduCommons, please contact The Center for Open and Sustainable Learning (http://cosl.usu.edu/).
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Is eduCommons an open source project?
eduCommons is firmly committed to open systems and will share its approach and the open source eduCommons software with those who may want to launch similar efforts. eduCommons has a dedicated team of developers focused on extending the platform, features and functions to meet Novell OpenCourseWare and other institution's needs.
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What is RSS?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and an aggregator let you subscribe to discussion forums, blogs and other websites in order to receive timely, organized updates of posts, news, and other information you care about.
This material was created or adapted from material created by MIT OCW, Copyright © 2005 MIT in accordance with the MIT OCW Terms of Use, http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Global/terms-of-use.htm.
