Monday, April 30, 2012

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

Great discussion, Bill.

The comments posted thus far are very interesting, and I would add the following for consideration.

LMSs have become increasingly necessary beyond use for online courses. Traditional brick and mortar courses benefit from LMSs by using it as a repository for digital materials (e.g., syllabi, handouts, supplemental readings, etc.), computer scored quizzes, gradebook functionality, and more. As for costs associated with learning management systems, there are several "free" options available. Moodle, Sakai, and others are free to download and install, however, the "free" usage comes with a cost. That cost is associated with personnel necessary to provide tech support, security, software updates, etc. That said, several institutions have found a way to make free solutions work for them so perhaps it's worth pondering:

- Florida International University (Moodle)
- Johns Hopkins University (Sakai)
- Rutgers University (Sakai)
- University of Delaware (Sakai)
- University of Florida (Sakai)
- University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (Sakai)
- University of Washington (Moodle)
- Wake Forest University (Sakai)
- and others

Moodle has been around since 1999, and Sakai since 2004. Therefore, the user base and available training/support/implementation resources have had a bit of time to grow and mature. Neither free LMS is perfect, but each could provide many of the same functions as LMSs that have a cost for entry. So if cost is the issue, these might find their way into the conversation.

As far as paid online learning solutions go, I think an LMS worth taking a look at is Canvas by Instructure (this company received seed money from Google's Executive Chairman, Eric Schmidt). Auburn University and Brown University recently switched to Canvas LMS. The jury is still out as to whether it holds up over time, but indications look promising.

At the Global Academy, UM's online college preparatory school for grades 6 through 12, we constantly look for ways to make the most of the technology within our grasp, while extending our reach to emerging technologies. Since we are a fully online school, the LMS is essential to our daily operations. And having one that is reliable, scalable, and easy to use is key. If cost is an issue, the previously mentioned solutions (e.g., Moodle, Sakai) could be implemented while saving money, at least in terms of software license costs.

Kind regards,

Craig

Dr. Craig Wilson | JD PhD
Executive Director
Collegiate, Online, and Pre-Collegiate Programs
Division of Continuing and International Education
University of Miami
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Dr. Craig Wilson | JD PhD
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University of Miami Global Academy
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-----Original Message-----
From: UM Educational Technology List [mailto:ED-TECH@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU] On Behalf Of Vilberg, William R.
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2012 8:12 AM
To: ED-TECH@LISTSERV.MIAMI.EDU
Subject: [ED-TECH] Why do we have an LMS?

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