LMS/EMS of the Future

Learning Management Systems of the Future
Diane Main
June 30, 2010

There is a lot wrong with the education system in our country today. Most of its woes stem from problems with funding coupled with the bureaucracy in place crippling reform efforts. The concept of “seat time” equaling credits earned for completing coursework is a carry-over from punching time clocks in industrial settings. Time spent does not equal learning accomplished, so this is an area in which major change needs to occur.

Learning (or educational) management systems can be a part of the solution to these problems. But LMS (or EMS) need to adapt to the needs of the learners using them. Coursework traditionally builds on content covered in prerequisite courses. But again, time spent in a course does not equal learning. And what about entry-level courses? If two students enter a nursing degree program, and one of the students has been an EMT (emergency medical technician) for five years while another student in the class has not even taken a life science course since ninth grade biology, their experiences in their first nursing classes should not be identical. The EMT’s experience and knowledge can be measured and considered somewhat fulfilling any expected prerequisite knowledge, and the total beginner will likely need extra support to get up to speed in a demanding program such as nursing. Examples like this could be anticipated for any field of study.

A customizable LMS can determine where each student’s proficiency lies and tailor the assignments to his or her specific needs. There are few things worse than plodding through required activities covering skills or knowledge the student has already mastered. Engagement drops to nothing and the student looks for other, more interesting ways to spend his or her time. In addition, having the management of a course online enables students to obtain materials and complete or submit work when it is convenient for them, rather than during a specific class period. They can also use the LMS from anywhere they can get online, thereby making their education available to them anywhere, not just on campus.

Some LMS programs, such as Sakai, already offer an ePortfolio component, which allows students to gather and keep their work in the school’s online environment. This means that their work, measuring their accomplishments, is always available to them. This is especially handy if a student modifies his or her course of study, or perhaps chooses to change direction altogether. With the portfolio handy online, the school can quickly determine which requirements have already been met in the new or revised course of study, thereby helping the student succeed in his or her new path.

Finally, LMS software needs to enable schools to foster collaboration, both among learners and among faculty. Tools should be available and easy to find, configure, and use so that students can maintain communication lines assisting their learning, and so that instructors can find new ways to combine their expertise to offer better educational experiences for students. These tools can also enable faculty to further their own lifelong learning. What is to say that faculty and accomplished students cannot collaborate and publish their jointly-created works?

All of these changes require a departure from the traditional view of what it means to earn a degree in our educational system. Credit hours, assignments, prerequisites, and communication are factors that can firmly ground an institution in the Dark Ages or catapult it into the enlightened future. Learning (or educational) management systems can be the force behind such advancement.