Learning management system

Definition

A Learning Management System (sometimes also called "Course Management System", "Pedagogical Platform",. "E-Learning Platform") is a software system that delivers Courseware plus E-Tutoring over the Internet.

LMS should not be your starting point. Typically, when decision makers talk about E-Learning they want to know what system to install. First of all, so called LMS are not the only answer, you also can implement E-Learning with other tools (e.g. Groupware, Content Management Systems or even a Wiki or other Hypertext system, often in combination with a Forum. Second, in any case you should start by thinking about an appropriate Instructional Design that uses appropriate Teaching Strategies for various Learning Types.

Components of an LMS

Feature lists are getting quite long and it is not easy to decide which features are the most important unless you have a good background in various areas like Instructional Design, Ergonomics and Systems Management.

Typical features are:

• Course Management, e.g. lists of courses, registration, credit information and syllabus, pre-requisites
• Teaching Materials, i.e. Courseware
• Self-assessment quizzes
• Lessons tools: Authoring for contents (structured XML or HTML) and quizzing/testing (e.g. Java Script generators) or alternatively ability to import standard IMS or SCORM packages developed with an external tool (e.g. Dreamweaver).
• Asynchronous Communication: email, forums
• Synchronous Communication: chat, whiteboard, teleconferencing,
• Student tools: Home page, self tests, bookmarks, progress tracking, ....
• Student Management Tools: progress tracking, on-line grading (Assessment, ....

Usually LMS are closed circuit platforms (logins, restricted access to classes), so the idea of sharing contents and informal Noah's generated during classes does not exist in the world of "LMS" (main-stream E-Learning).

Links

There are many sites that will give you advice on how to choose a standard, main-stream E-Learning System:

• [Course Management Systems] (formerly Landonline). This site was built to assist higher education in using a more rational decision making process to review the many options for a course management system.

• [Elearning Platforms (Learning Management Systems)] by EduTech, the technological support for the Swiss Virtual Campus project. Much shorter list, but enough for most of us ....

• [UNESCO free software portal]

Other references:

• Wikipedia's article on [Virtual learning environment] which also features a nice list of links to Systems plus other useful information.