Language Management Systems
Hello Dr. Wilkinson and Colleagues,
I've been teaching online for about 4 years and am fascinated with online learning. I feel that this medium enables many students to attend college that might not have been able to do so if their only option was a ground campus. I've worked with Blackboard, Moodle e-College, Sakai, and proprietary systems. Do you feel one is more effective as a language management system than the others? Will students taking a similar course using Blackboard and Moodle, for example, fare the same?
Kind regards,
Sara Fine
Online Instructor
Kristina,
I agree. it is also a great tool to help student "manage" their learning.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
These types of systems are currently used in elementary and secondary schools. In fact, my middle schooler is required to sign on to Moodle for his humanities course. I believe that this type of experience will assist the students when they enter college and participate in online college classes or hybrid. This means that the faculty facilitating these classes will need to be prepared and technologically savvy.
I have also worked with all of the above systems. There are pros and cons to each system. I enjoy using all the different types to help with my own variability.
Jolly,
Yes, it is Learning Management System; and yes there are so many. They range from public shareware to publisher created and operated.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
ah, are you referring to a "learning management system" (aka content management system) instead of a "language management system"? That said, a LMS is an enterprise-wide software systems that primarily manages the learning function and the hosting of content. The more generic term is a learning platform with over 100 different varieties available in the market. That said, in many school districts and higher education organizations, there is a movement towards open source LMSs like Moodle, Sakai, Joomla, et al.
Douglas,
I agree, we can also help students by having a consistent looks for our LMS's. I have seen at a university every faculty's LMS page looked different. That really doesn't help the students.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Sara that is a good question. I have to say that there are many learning platforms and I not sure if one is better than the others. I know that I have my favorite but it may be more about what I am comfortable with and used to. However I do think that students do connect with or are more comfortable with certain platforms. It may just depend on which approach seems more intuitive to types of learning styles.
Michael,
It is more of a turtle than the rabbit! I have found that the technology use in my online class has improved the technology use in my f2f course.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Sara,
Well, I think they all similar things. I think the secret is knowing how to use the tools well and show students how to use the tools well. Does that make sense?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Sara,
you are right on your point that "I feel that this medium enables many students to attend college that might not have been able to do so if their only option was a ground campus."
We now have people all over the worl taking classes in US institutions, which otherwise, would not have been possible.
I would like to see the technoligy that is now available to be used in the classroom. When I talk in stead of writing stuff on the board which can loose the students, the board would write and spell check what I want on the board. If I said car then make and model one would apear on the board. When I then went to the board I could then electronicaly take apart the car to show internal components. When will the education sustem move into this century?
