AcrossWorld | FAQs

What is Open Source?

Open Source is an approach to the design, development, and distribution of software, offering practical accessibility to the software’s source code. Open source software is published under licenses that ensure that the source code is available to everyone to inspect, change, download, and explore as they wish. This is the essential meaning of open source: the code — the language in which the software is written — can be accessed and improved by anyone with the right skill set because they understand how the software works. Some consider open source to be a design approach, while others consider it a critical strategic element of their operations. The advantages of Open Source development include the long-term sustainability of the code and the fact that there is an entire development community that identifies and addresses development, testing, and bug fixes.

What is Open Service?

An Open Service, also known as Software as a Service (SaaS), is a service provided by a software application running online, over the Internet via a browser or another interface. Many open service products have a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) framework in place. An SOA provides many benefits to the user organization, such as a single sign-on (SSO), reuse of data, and the ability to plug and play applications into an enterprise service bus (ESB).

AcrossWorld’s methodology further extends the open service approach by establishing a framework that eliminates the need to reengineer content as applications, systems, and processes move in and out of the ESB.

What is SaaS?

SaaS or Software as a Service, is a software distribution model where the provider sometimes develops, hosts, and licenses applications and makes them available to customers over a network, as opposed to providing individual licensed copies of the software. SaaS products, such as EducationBridge and KnowledgeKey, allow the user to access the tool through the internet as opposed to traditional software that is downloaded and stored to a specific hard drive.

Software support and updates are provided by the vendor or developer under the terms of the license agreement. The user’s access to and use of the software ends when the organization stops paying subscription fees.

Advantages to the user include significantly lower costs as the user does not pay a single (usually large) licensing fee. Only a smaller, recurring subscription fee applies. The user does not need to store software or data on his computer so he doesn’t need large data storage facilities. There is also the convenience of not needing to constantly backup data – storage and data integrity is the responsibility of the SaaS provider. SaaS models also reduce the need for specially trained IT personnel to handle maintenance, monitoring and software updates. The SaaS vendor provides a dedicated team to handle these tasks and all updates to software and version improvements are part of the annual subscription.

What is OER?

Open Educational Resources (OER) are free educational materials and resources offered for anyone to use and in some cases, under license agreements, to re-mix, improve and redistribute. OERs are part of an Internet-empowered worldwide community effort to create an education commons.

The term “open educational resources” was first adopted at UNESCO’s 2002 Forum on the Impact of Open Courseware for Higher Education in Developing Countries, funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. OERs include:

• Learning content: full courses, course materials, content modules, learning objects, collections, and journals;
• Tools: Software to support the creation, delivery, use, and improvement of open learning content such as search/organization engines, content and learning management systems, content development tools, and on-line learning communities; and
• Implementation Resources: Intellectual property licenses to promote open publishing of materials, design-principles, and localization of content.

Are OERs really free?

Yes. OERs are really free. This is clearly defined within the Open Educational Licenses (similar to a Creative Commons license) of the participating group. AcrossWorld provides access to this OER content through our infrastructure, but we do not charge for the content component.

Which AcrossWorld product is right for my institution?

Catalyst is designed for institutions with limited or no connectivity and less experience with content development. EducationBridge merges the institution’s legacy content and AcrossWorld’s aggregation of premiere OER from around the world to foster education and collaboration. The various modules of EducationBridge can be enabled over time through our plug-n-play approach. To learn more about each product, please visit the Product and Services section of the web site.

AcrossWorld products are built on a SaaS (i.e., Open Source) model; however, there may be situations where a custom offering is required, and we are positioned to develop those as well. The AcrossWorld team will assess the customer’s needs at the early stages, through our detailed requirements gathering effort. We will work with the organization’s leadership to implement the optimal configuration which maps to and addresses all requirements.

What is the core difference between Catalyst and Education Bridge?

Catalyst is a standalone software product that provides educators access to OER content and other educational tools. Education Bridge is a SaaS model that takes this concept to the next level by incorporating communication and collaboration tools as well as providing an educational platform that may be integrated with a school’s existing infrastructure through AcrossWorld Professional Services. To learn more about each product, please visit the Product and Services section of the web site.

Can I customize the AcrossWorld products?

Yes. One of the benefits of choosing AcrossWorld’s holistic approach is the flexibility afforded to you with respect to customization. Customization may include a branded interface to the selection of modules and components. AcrossWorld’s products utilize a truly open architecture solution.

What kind of professional services do you provide?

AcrossWorld provides a number of professional services in content development, content management, and delivery strategies and methodology. These services are most appropriate for users of EducationBridge. “The AcrossWorld Content Approach” ensures that an institution’s content is prepared in a way which supports the benefits of the product: interoperability, scalability, and adaptability.

Where does AcrossWorld house its R&D Center?

Our Research and Development Center is based in Boston, MA.