LMS Comparison - Chau

Blackboard

Communication-Blackboard allows asynchronous and synchronous communication. Students can explore extra resources posted on Blackboard by their instructors when time is not permitted during class. Blackboard has software that allows collaboration using e-mail, text, chat and discussion board. The Educational Management Software(EMS) allows instructor to manage course document like syllabi, lesson modules, discussion boards, assessment, assignments and lectures. Students can participate or do work at any time asynchronously or attend live class sessions through Wimba or Adobe Connect. The learning module feature allows students to access course assignment anytime. The discussion tool is most helpful since students can partake in a discussion or ask questions. Students can use the Chat and Whiteboard feature to communicate in small groups or as a whole class. The Blackboard Learn or Mobile Learn feature allows instructors to send SMS text messages or email to reach students instantly. Students can of course have the option to unsubscribe this feature.

Content-Under the tools menu, users can get instant access to Announcements, Grades, Calendar, Tasks, Personal Information and E-mail. Users can email out to their peers or instructor.

Interface-Blackboard’s interface is simple and not too busy. I think it is easier than Moodle. There are two columns format—the left column is the navigation bar with Announcement, Course Info/Document, Communication and Assignments. The right column is the information from the links on the left bar.

Capabilities-Instructors can create a whole course with a calendar, syllabus, assignments as well as links for webcasts for live sessions. Instructors can also create and send passwords out to students to enroll in the class.

Like/Dislikes: Blackboard seems very easy to set up. It is very user-friendly and easy to understand. I think it is easier than Moodle. I like how the interface is set up so that all the class information and assignments are in one area. The only thing that I don’t like about Blackboard is user cannot personalize the page. The site is very simple but it needs some updated look. As a student I think the main page looks really tacky and boring.

Learner’s Perspective: I really like the discussion forum in Blackboard since it allows users to upload and post submissions. I like the idea that I can read what other people write about because it allows me to learn from others. It also gives me ideas to write or revise my own ideas. I also like the Mobile Learn feature where it can send messages to your phones. It gives students instant access to class information and updates. The only thing I didn’t like is setting up Wimba since it takes a long time. I would recommend Blackboard to create a program that has its own build-in webcast system so that there wouldn’t be so much technical problems for users.

Use of this platform: Blackboard is great for students to learn from one another via the discussion boards. I love group collaborations and I think students will benefit from reading and learning from their classmates’ submissions. Students can also do peer reviews for their classmates and comments on each other’s post. This platform will definitely reach out to those quiet and shy students. This platform can be used for K-12 and higher education. It is so easy that I think homeschoolers can also benefit from it.

Joomla

Communication: Joomla allows for asynchronous and synchronous communication. The main tools that are included in Joomla are Discussion Forum, share Whiteboard, Conferencing, Chat, and Multimedia Video. The chatting option is available for small group or whole group. Multimedia video streaming is for conferencing by using Adobe Flash Media Server. Conferences can be recorded and archived for later use. There is also a Mailbox for sending and receiving emails within Joomla.

Content-Instructors can set up the contents by topics or weeks in the course. Learning Path feature is controlled by instructor to teach topic in sequential order, therefore, forcing students to learn all topics and not skip contents.

Interface: Joomla has a very simple design interface. I think is much better than Moodle. It has easy to read icons with online tutorials for FAQ’s for students and instructors.

Capabilities: Joomla lets instructors create quizzes, grade assignments, keep track of gradebook, monitor students progress and attendance. There is a feature called Dropbox where it allows students and instructors to upload files. You can also upload files and links in different folders within Joomla. This is very similar to Moodle.

Likes/Dislikes: The navigation in Joomla is super easy for both instructor and students. This platform is simple to use. As an instructor, I like how I can monitor student progress and assignments. As a student, I like how the live sessions are all located in one area for easy access.

Use of this platform: I think it can be used for K-12 and higher simply because it is user-friendly. I think that it is also very useful for homeschoolers and anyone who are not so technology savvy.