CMS or LMS?

On one side you have the big-boys: Vista, Blackboard, Moodle, etc. - those are great if you want to run an online course and need all the tracking and assessment tools they provide. But what if all you want is a fun, easy-to-use, and intuitive shared space to exchange ideas, sources, and maybe some files with and among your students? You could go Facebook or Google+, but that creates a weird mixing between your private and professional life. Here are several options for light-weight course managements systems:

• Yammer. The basic version is free, the interface looks almost identical to Facebook, and everything is hosted somewhere in the cloud - no downloads or configurations.
• Podio. The Lite version for up to 5 people is free, above that it's $9 per person per month.
• Basecamp. Commercial, web-based product similar to Yammer. No free option!
• Commons In A Box. This is a great option, but requires a WordPress installation on your own server.
• Wordpress. Use as-is or with plug-ins (see Commons In A Box).
• Drupal. Very popular, but requires your own server to run (real or virtual).
• Entrada. Also very popular, but as with Drupal needs its own server.
• Google Classroom. Part of Google's Apps for Education - looks promising and here are the first impressions from ProfHacker.
• Schoology. This looks like a great option as well.

So...get friendly with your IT folks, use Yammer, convince your college admins to invest in a Basecamp package, or just commit to going Google!