Day 3: Introduction to learning management platforms

Day 3 - Topics

• General Overview of LMS, LCMS, and other learning management platforms
  • Types of tools used
    • LMS
      • Houses content
      • Delivers, tracks, & manages content
      • Learning Management Systems on Wikipedia explains what learning management systems are, what learning content management systems are, and the differences between them
    • LCMS
      • Combines an LMS with authoring content capabilities
      • Development, management, & publishing content
    • Social interaction tools
      • House content and create environments for communication
      • Collaborative Software on Wikipedia explains what collaborative software is
      • List of Collaborative Software on Wikipedia shows a comparison chart of collaborative software
  • Synchronous vs. asynchronous tools
    • Synchronous
      • Online at the same time
      • Communicate in real-time
      • Uses instant messaging or microphones/headsets
      • Real-time Solutions for Online Learning: Using Synchronous Communication Tools for Right-now Learning
      • Taking the 'A' out of Asynchronous
    • Asynchronous
      • Self-paced
      • Communicate over time
      • Blogs, discussion boards, wikis, email, etc.
      • Changing the Interface of Education with Revolutionary Learning Technologies
      • Wikis, Blogs & More, Oh My!
  • Challenges when using these platforms
    • Implementation
      • Initial cost - set up fees for system including any special requests
      • Roll out procedures - communicating to the organization about when it is active
      • Transition to LMS - training everyone on the new system
      • Organizing content - knowing how the learner will interact with the content so it makes sense
    • Maintenance
      • Learner support - training learners on system upgrades
      • Versioning of content - updating content without erasing previous records
      • Retrieving information - pulling reports that display needed data
    • Technology issues
      • IT support - support can be provided in-house or by the vendor, depending on the needs of the organization, but there must be support for both the user and the administrators
      • Accessibility and 504 compliance - all users must have access to all information and the LMS must be 504 compliant
      • Storage space - Managing Storage on Your LMS: Learning Objects
      • Interaction with other software - using authoring tools that produce accurate results when used with learning management system
• Introduction to specific LMS/LCMS systems
  • Adobe Connect
  • Blackboard
  • SumTotal
  • Saba
  • UDUTU
  • Wimba
  • Drupal

Day 3 - Assignments

• Continue working on Moodle Project (the Moodle Project is after the LMS Comparison project on this page).
• Select one article relating to learning management systems in the Weekly News from Distance-Educator.com. Read the article and write a brief summary about the article and any thoughts you have on the article in the discussion forum.
• Read Learning Management Systems article and post to discussion forum about the top 10 characteristics of a learning management system that it must have to be effective.