This document discusses a new model for community-driven development of Moodle through crowdfunding. Traditionally, Moodle development is funded through organizations contracting individual developers or firms. Crowdfunding connects funds from many donors to specific development projects. It outlines how crowdfunding works, examples of successful crowdfunding campaigns, and potential future Moodle projects that could be funded through crowdfunding. The goal is to spur more grassroots innovation in Moodle development by enabling community members to fund projects.

1. Community-driven
Moodle
Development
A new model for Moodle development

4. How's development
happen?
● Individuals devs contracted by organizations
or individuals
● Firms (partners or LMS shops) contracted by
organizations or individuals
● Tracker issues
● Individual impetus

5. The promise of
crowdfunding
Connecting funds with personnel.
An important caveat:
The goal is only attained if there is demand for
a project.

6. What exactly is it?
Usually Fixed or Dynamic fundraising for a very
specific cause over a defined duration (e.g.
developing code for Moodle, making jeans,
creating a new bike helmet)

7. Across all markets
crowdfunding sites abound and
more and more are launched to
address more and more niche
opportunities.
In the US you can even use
crowdfunding to raise money for a
business launch (a limited IPO)

8. A few crowdfunding stats
● The entire crowdfunding market grew by 81
percent last year
● Over a million crowdfunding campaigns
raised $2.7 billion in 2012
● 308 active crowdfunding platforms (CFPs)
worldwide
source: http://www.crowdsourcing.org

9. Thanks WIRED Magazine
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/02/beyond-kickstarter/
"But Kickstarter’s one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t fit every dream, or every
group of dreamers. For starters, the site requires every project to create some
sort of final product, whether it be a physical object or a piece of media or a
performance. This leaves many types of undertakings out in the cold. And even
for projects with deliverables, this one tool can’t possibly foresee all the
different updates and perks, all the different modes of collaboration and reward,
that these communities might want or need.
The essential promise of crowdfunding is that the things we’ve always wished
for—anything we’ve wished for—can become real. So to fulfill that, the market
needs to splinter as it grows. It needs to go niche. In fact, a few of those niches

10. The Main Event
Blackboard's
coursesites was the
inspiration. It's well
designed and functions
almost exactly the
same.
http://ondemand.blackb
oard.com/r91/document
s/getting_started_with_
video_everywhere.pdf

11. What made is successful?
● Well known
developer
● Solid specs
● Publicized
● Low-hanging
fruit
● Free solution to
an expensive
problem
● 10+ funders

12. For the community
The addon is now available: (205 downloads to
date)
From Poodll.com: http://poodll.com/youtube-
anywhere/
From Moodle.org:
https://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=tiny
mce_youtube

13. Since
● LtR Toggle to Collapsed Topics
● Crot Plugin (successful-ish)
● Crowdsource.moodlerooms.com
● Moodlegarage.com
● Crowdfunding @ Moodle.org
● Courseshop for Moodle 2
● InsightLMS Marketplace

14. DIY Funding
Establish a process/guidelines
Stack the deck for success
Make it legit

15. Future Projects
Currently screening a few projects:
● Autopilot for Moodle
● Google Checkout Enrollment Plugin
● Horizontal Collapsed Topics
● Activities and Events User Page/Dashboard
● Comprehensive Activities Report Page
● Weka integration (data mining)