2010 Sakai Conference

As our community shapes the Sakai 3.0 release, we have the opportunity to reflect on how Sakai has fit into educational and technology ecosystems so far, and to anticipate and position Sakai's future path. Proprietary platforms like Blackboard are diversifying their offerings. Open source alternatives like Moodle are also moving toward major new releases. Constellations of new services are arising from places like Google, Epsilen, and others we haven't even heard of. The systems we built for ourselves to meet our special needs are increasingly hard to maintain on our own. At the same time, the educational, organizational, and technological needs we joined together as a community to meet through Sakai are changing. The institutions we represent are evolving. We are finding new ways to teach, learn, research and collaborate. Our marketplace as suppliers and consumers is changing through consolidation, innovation, and new economics. New technologies and practices disrupt old. We are being asked to find new ways to demonstrate our value. Faced with this environment and our own projects that will live within it, it's time to ask ourselves some basic questions: Why are we building Sakai? What makes it different? What is our relationship to other platforms? Why would someone choose Sakai? How will Sakai continue to grow and evolve? What does Sakai and its community offer as we look ahead? Hear framing questions and initial thoughts, and add your voice to the discussion with a panel bringing varied viewpoints and experience, including Nate Angell, rSmart Client Evangelist and Sakai product councilor, Michael Feldstein, Oracle Principal Product Manager, Sakai board member and product councilor, Randy Thornton, rSmart Client Evangelist and longtime Moodle community member, and Max Whitney, NYU Technical Team Lead and Sakai product councilor.