Stephen Downes

I've done quite a bit of work using Drupal over the years, and while I wouldn't say it's for everyone, this open source content management system is flexible and powerful and consequently can be adapted to a wide variety of academic environments. Harold Jarche reviews Bill Fitzgerald's comprehensive technical guide, Drupal for Education and E-Learning. This addresses one of the key weaknesses I encountered with the platform: the lack of clear documentation (it's worth noting that the Drupal website itself has undergone extensive revision recently in light of related criticisms). The book is not free, but Jarche comments, "Since Drupal has no licensing fees, institutions can afford several copies of this book."