www.openpolicyforum.net

Why an opеn source learning management system?

Norman — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 20:30:31 +0000

Learning Management Systems (LMS) are a central part of any eLearning business. They are used to provide students with the resources and the learning content they need to participate on the program. A cost effective solution can always be found in Open Source Learning Management Systems that are usually web based application. This gives them the advantage of creating a to-go learning atmosphere. From every computer in the world that has an internet browser installed the learning management system can be easily accessed. There is no need to install additional software. Thus, students to not have to either own a computer or have the right to install software on it to access the contents of the eLearning provider.

Agnes Scott College Library Reading Room © by JKD Atlanta

The learning management system generally allows the student to schedule the classes himself. This means that he can choose when he accesses the course material and when he does the assignments. An important feature of a good learning management system is the automation it provides. It should be an effective, central solution for almost every administrative work that has to be done on the provider’s side. It should also deliver the learning content in a convenient and fast way. An advanced learning management system will do through personalized contents that are designed for a given student.

In choosing the appropriate learning management system for one’s business the following question should be considered:

is student registration straightforward?
does it allow work-flow training?
how is on-line learning implemented?
is the on-line assessment system easy to manage?
can it fulfill the demands of professional education?
does it provide effective training resource management?

Depending on the size and scale of the eLearning institution, the majority of this questions should be answerable with “yes”.

Provide better internet teaching through eLearning software

Norman — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:23:43 +0000

If you are a teacher who manages his courses and classes over the internet, having an excellent kit of software tools can get you a significant advantage over competitors. You should also consider to make your knowledge about eLearning solutions into money. This can mean developing your own software, selling pre-configured software suites for which you provide maintenance or becoming a software seller who consults his clients in choosing the tools they need.

Students researching in the new lab © by shersh

The demand in the field of eLearning has become a fast growing sector in the course of the past years. If you are a teacher yourself you will need knowledge about the majority of the programs that are available to find out which one serves your purposes best. You will then also become a software trainer because your students will need some instructions about using the software as well.

Usually, you will already gain all the necessary knowledge about eLearning software when you observe the market to develop your business plan. Once you have chosen your tools you will need to improve your services through the feedback that you get from your students. This is why you should not choose software that does not allow giving feedback. Students should be encourage to give comments on your teaching, on their assignments as well as on the technical implementation by an inviting user interface. It should be easy to start a conversation with you so that the student do not feel to be let alone. If you provide fast and helpful assistance you will gain a reputation as a reliable source of eLearning content.

What is meant with “learner-centered”

Norman — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 19:28:41 +0000

It has long been a pedagogic demand to center the education on the learner. This means that the student gains practical as well as theoretical knowledge according to his personal needs. This way the student is supposed to develop his talents in the most effective way and should be provided with a solid foundation to engage In lifelong learning. Ideally, the teaching is not all centered on the teacher anymore (eg. memorization) but endorses creative and individual learning approaches of the students.

DSC00688 © by mda621

ICTs can provide a learned-centered environment in several ways:

It endorses active learning of the student by enabling the use of the simulations and tools for analyzing and calculating data. It also gives the student new ways to deal with information and present content. A learning-by-doing approach is much easier to accomplish with such tools than with traditional teaching methods.
It becomes easier for students to collaborate. They can work together on the same project by having access to the same learning interface. It is also possible to integrate students from other place of the world and thus to improve communicative and inter-cultural skills.
The flexible solutions provide by ICT interface enhance the possibility of creative solutions to problems.
Learning with ICTs bridges the divide between theory and practise as well as between teaching and learning. Interactivity vastly improves practical implementation of theoretical knowledge.
With ICTs student can learn to evaluate a problem. This is achieved by providing students with problems that have several solutions. Students can then explore the different solutions and compare the results.

ICTs and future workplaces

Norman — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:41:10 +0000

A major benefit of the use of ICTs in today’s classroom can be found in its potential to prepare the students for a future workplace. There will be more and more jobs that require competence with computers, Internet and other information technology. The so-called “technological literacy” is becoming increasingly important. It is one of the key skills identified by enGauge (a project of the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory). This project researched the skills needed at the working places of the 21st century. The skills fall into four categories:

Workplace © by wovox

Digital-Age Literacy: This includes literacy in basic, mathematical, technological, cultural, visual, scientific and information related problems. It also demands a global awareness.
Inventive Thinking: This set of skills is determined by ability to manage complex topics and problems. It relies on curiosity and creativity but depends also on the willingness to take risks.
Effective Communication: It becomes increasingly important to communicate interactively. Equally, one has to act socially and personally responsible. Thus, the skills to collaborate and to team are as important as interpersonal skills.
High Productivity: Without productivity no one can succeed. To achieve this, it is necessary to plan, manage and prioritize. Only then, tools and skills can be applied effectively

All these skills can be developed by the use of ICTs. It provides technological literacy and is centered on the learner. This way, the needed skills can be developed in simulations, team projects and repetitive tasks.

A better learning environment with ICTs

Norman — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:27:55 +0000

A major benefit of ICTs is the way, they make learning resources available. Students do not have to be at a place that can afford a major library. Instead they can access books and other materials from their home. Furthermore, the resources are not limited in quantity. That means that a student does not have to wait for a book to be returned to the library. Furthermore, books can not get lost or damaged anymore.

Another compelling reason for using ICTs in education is the competence in communication technologies which is learned on the fly. Students learn how to use technologies like internet, email and the general use of computers. This makes them more competitive in a globalized job market. They become well acquainted with technologies that will soon be ubiquitous even in developing countries.

There is still another major benefit surrounding the use of ICTs especially for young students: fun. It is usually easier to achieve a pleasant, interesting and inspiring learning environment by ICTs than by resources such as books. Thus, the motivation of the student can be increased by using videos, multimedia and simulations of real life situations. The interactivity of the computer also allows the program to adapt itself to the skills of the student. This is tremendously helpful for keeping the student challenged, rather than bored. Another way to motivate the student is by letting him connect to other students around the world to work on a specific project. This will have the side-effect, that the student gains intercultural skills as well. (Have a look on the schoolsonline project as well.)

Using a computer can also help in those cases where repetitive learning is needed to acquire skills. Those kind of “drills” are usually not only exhausting for the student but also for the teachers. Nevertheless, they are sometimes necessary. A computer can vastly enhance the motivation of going through these drills by presenting it like a game. The student will have a least a little bit of fun and the teacher will not get tired.

Asynchronous and synchronous learning via ICTs

Norman — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:04:26 +0000

ICTs (information and communication technologies) provide a great option for developing countries to gain access to quality education. It is an easy way to enhance the education possibilities by facilitating the transfer of knowledge. It also gives opportunities for poor people and improves the environment for businesses. In remote and poor regions, people will no longer have to suffer from their isolation from knowledge. ICTs can provide them with open access to all kinds of educational resources.

However, to enable the use of ICTs in those areas more effort is needed to bridge the Digital Divide. That is to say that even poor and isolate people need access to modern communication technologies. Present inequalities in social and economic standards restrain most poor people from learning not only by ICTs but also by traditional approaches.

ICTs can provide educational resources for a wider range of audience than traditional methods. Some people live in a society that traditionally does not allow them to be educated. This includes elder people as well as women but also disabled person. Other potential learners are living in extremely remote areas or can not adopt their time schedule to the needs of traditional education.

Via ICTs all the constraints in space, time and culture can be eliminated. The learning environment does not need face-to-face synchronous teaching but allows asynchronous education. This means that the student may work on assignments, study the teacher’s lesson and follow his instructions at the time he chooses. The student usually can access the course material on a 24/7 base, so that he can learn during the night or whenever he wants to. And furthermore, all this can be done from home. There is no need to be physically present in a specific location.

But of course, synchronous learning is possible. A video conference from teachers all over the world can be joined by the student and provide him with direct feedback.

Also have a look on the World Bank’s approach to ICTs for education.