Jul 24, 2010 at 12:13 pm, Jared Stein
There’s been a real debate about the role of the LMS–if any–in modern online learning going on for the last 5 years or so. I’m situated somewhere in the middle: I’d love to see real-world examples of disruptive applications of technology to online learning that prove effective for learning; I also realize that many online learning experiences can be–and in some cases, perhaps excel when supported by what we now know as a traditional learning management system. Here in Utah we’re examining potential replacements for Blackboard Vista. I’ve listed the following broad must-haves I think an e-learning platform should do:
- Assess or track student learning so as to provide formative or summative feedback (e.g. gradebooks, learner analytics, quizzes)
- Share and sequence learning materials–both locally-produced and external content (e.g. wiki pages, documents, multimedia, web pages)
- Facilitate learning communities, both their formation and persistence (e.g. learner identity profiles, discussions, chat rooms, blog aggregation)
- Communicate with learners in order to explore topics, negotiate meaning, and provide feedback, whether those interactions are expert-to-learner, peer-to-peer, content-to-learner, self-reflective (e.g. e-mail, discussion, scoring rubrics, voice/video messaging)
- Aggregate or publish learners’ academic work, either within a “walled-garden” or to the public (e.g. portfolios, blogs, wikis, document sharing)
