Re: [ED-TECH] Why do we have an LMS?

Bill,

The Blackboard LMS system or what ever the university chooses to use going
forward is a very important tool that is required as the university
adjusts to the increasing absorption of technology. Name me a university
that is about to pull the plug on it's LMS? I would think it would be the
reverse where educational institutions are increasing the use of
technology as they deliver content in more and more interesting formats.
Additionally the market in Masters, and other higher degrees requires
universities to complete not in traditional content delivery modalities
but in blended and online delivery formats. Online universities (yes
there are plenty of those and the traditional may turn up their noses...)
rely solely on an LMS to delver their instruction. Interestingly, they
would laugh at your question, wondering what you were talking about...

This leads to where UM is going with regard to content delivery. We know
that UM does not want to get into the "Online" business and we need say no
more about that! However, the move to the "Flip Classroom/Reverse
Classroom/blended model" will rely totally on the LMS. This model even in
the most sacred and hallowed institutions has gained ground and looks like
the way forward. Additionally with the surge of social media and the
improvements with technology in general, we will see that educational
institutions will be relying on an LMS to keep up with the changes in
content delivery styles.

All this being said... We need to make sure educational institutions have
the appropriate support mechanisms in place to empower faculty to use not
just the LMS but also all the other technology that is available. We
cannot go on thinking that faculty will just teach themselves to use
anything we put in front of them. Forward thinking institutions have
support personnel/units that work with faculty to design content delivery
that works and impacts student achievement. UM needs to make sure that
support for faculty is available in all schools and that we have a
consistency across the university.

In the School of Nursing and Health Studies, that support is made
available to all faculty and that has resulted in faculty winning awards
for course design using the LMS. We have investigated alternatives to the
traditional classroom lecture styles and this has been warmly received by
our students. We are currently moving all our orientations to an online
format and without an LMS we could not do that. If you implement the most
amazing technological products, you will need Instructional Technologists
to work alongside faculty to make them work. Research has indicated that
if you support faculty they will use the technology available.

So going back to your original question, I think it should read as the
following,

"Faculty should evaluate whether they have the appropriate support to
utilize the technology (for all technology not just the LMS) that is
available at the university so that it impacts their teaching and student
learning styles."

I think that would throw a whole new light on this discussion. What do
you think?


Lyndon Godsall Ed.D, Ed.S, M.Ed, B.Ed
Instructional Designer
305-284-2710 Office
954-647-4634 Cell
l.godsall@miami.edu






On 4/30/12 8:11 AM, "Vilberg, William R." <bill.vilberg@MIAMI.EDU> wrote:

>Ed-Tech list members,
>
>I just added a post on my vilberg.com blog that I wanted to share with
>you all: http://goo.gl/D7JqK
>
>In my 14 years at UM I have brought in, set up, promoted, supported, and
>updated the Blackboard learning management system (LMS). An article,
>referring to another institution, suggests that the major functions of an
>LMS can be done on other systems for free, the minor functions are not
>being used, and an LMS costs a lot of money each year.
>
>I don't agree with the conclusion that the LMS is a needless expense. I
>do agree that you, as a faculty member, should evaluate whether your
>teaching and student learning has been positively affected/changed by the
>use of an LMS. At the end of another academic year, this is a good chance
>to reflect on this question.
>
>Please read my post at http://goo.gl/D7JqK and the original article
>referenced in that post. Then, if you would like, let me know what you
>think.
>
>Bill Vilberg - bill.vilberg@miami.edu, 786-250-2255
>
>http://vilberg.com - Spreading seeds of education, technology, and more