LMS Comparrison-Ellis

LMS Comparison

Black Board

Communication
Blackboard provides both synchronous and asynchronous means of communication. This product contains a discussion forum which can be organized various ways. It also supports file attachment which is extremely useful. The instructor can establish multiple forums and monitor posts which can be synchronous or asynchronous. Files can be easily uploaded for assignments. Email is a built in feature which can be used to send individual as well as groups from the class. This system also supports chat. There is also a whiteboard feature which allows for the sharing of PowerPoints, and screens. Blackboard supports Wimba which allows for virtual class meetings with audio and video.

Content organization
This is version 8 for Blackboard though a version 9 will soon be readily available.
There is a simple interface design allowing the administrator to step by step create the course through course template wizards. Course content may be uploaded using WedDAV. They can also use a predefined template or an existing course to create a new one.

Capabilities
There are a variety of communication tools such as announcements, emails, and discussion forums. Courses can be assigned easily. As noted above content can be created, uploaded or shared.

Perspectives on use
Blackboard provides a wide variety of tools for the administrators use. Though it is good to provide many tools, it may seem overwhelming to instructors new to creating online courses. This platform allows the instructor to create a course and use that template in the future, saving quite a bit of time. It has many features which allow for the monitoring of student progress from actual assessment analysis to the monitoring of discussions and posts. On the negative side there is a lot to input up front to make the most of the features, which can be time consuming. As learner I have used Blackboard many times. I find some of the tools difficult to find within the site. Once I find them they are relatively easy to use but they can be buried within the pages. I have also experienced a wide variety of effort that instructors put into creating the course. With so many tools available my classes are often a mixture which can make it difficult to find what I want. Since I have never created a course in Blackboard I’m not quite sure of the reasoning. One feature that I particularly enjoy is the archives of the class sessions especially when they are broken up into smaller sections.I could see myself using this platform as a means to provide additional support to students. I could see myself doing tutorials and review using this tool. Other entities such as companies and the government could use this system for short trainings, updating skills, or even creating certification courses for advancement

Atutor
Communication
This product provides both synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Some of the different means of communication are forums, chats, blogs, email and wikis. There is less ability to manage the discussion forums than in blackboard though there are some sharing abilities. There are sound and video capabilities through Adobe Connect and Open Meeting.

Content Organization
The content is organized using SCORM and CourseLab. This is version 1.6 for Atutor. The course creation is fairly straight forward. A series of pages is created and there is easy navigation throughout the process. The interface is intuitive for both the user and the administrator.

Capabilities
The administrator can assign courses through SCORM or CCNet. There are a variety of communication capabilities as noted above such as chat, email and forums. Content can be created using HTML or plain text.

Perspectives on use
As an administrator there are many things to like about this program, the intuitive interface, the creation of course content, ease of submitting assignments, and the test creator. One drawback is that some tools come from outside sources for example, the classes must be held using an outside service Adobe Connect. As long as they remain reliable it shouldn’t be an issue. For the learner there are many positives. The system is easy to navigate and use. There are many opportunities for communication and collaboration. Additionally many of these communications can be referred back to later. Again the one drawback is the use outside supplements. The learner will have to adjust to different formats for different tools. Similar to Blackboard, I could see myself using this platform as a means to provide additional support to students. I could see myself doing tutorials and review using this tool. Other entities such as companies and the government could use this system for short trainings, updating skills, or even creating certification courses for advancement.