Welcome to World University by Jodi Kohler

If I were to have read this article before experiencing the COMET program I would have thought its contents belonged in a fantasy land. Now that I know the capabilities and benefits of a learning management system I believe many of those ideas listed are quite possible. The first topic that I found interesting and borderline convicting was the notion of transactional distance and the appropriate medium that promotes learning. I tend to enforce structure in my classroom filled with redundant practice that promotes anything but dialogue. Through this EDTEC program, I have found that dialogue is critical in order to successfully complete any of these online courses.

One of the benefits of a learning management system is it's potential to provide dynamic education. According to Dr. Saba (2008), "The true power of the computer-telecommunication nexus is in offering personalized learning and performance support systems in a dynamic environment that can adjust to the prior knowledge of the learner, as well as his or her learning preferences and meta-cognitive states." My dominant teaching strategies tend to follow the one-size-fits-all traditional template. All of my students receive the same lecture, practice the same problems and take the same tests.

If I could create a learning management system of the future I would personalize it to the learning level and capabilities of each learner. I teach high school math and every year I have about 10-15% who earned a D or lower. The reasons behind this unsatisfactory performance differ from student to student. Some of my students have learning disabilities and could use extra tutorials or a different approach with the lecture. Other learners are simply unmotivated and need more visual stimulation. Absences also contribute to my D/F rate. Having an online system could allow students to choose the learning method that works best for them. This could be through having students explore manipulatives, extra practice, real-world applications etc. While they wouldn't have to complete all of the available learning tools, they could choose what works best for them and stick with it.