Learning Management System ( Moodle & BlackBoard)

 

Hello virtual friends! In this post I will talk about Learning Management System (LMS) and give some examples that can illustrate this concept very well.

What is a  Learning Management System? 

An LMS is the infrastructure that delivers and manages instructional content, identifies and assesses individual and organizational learning or training goals, tracks the progress towards meeting those goals, and collects and presents data for supervising the learning process of an organization as a whole.The other definition describes LMS as “an information system that administers instructor-led and e-learning courses and keeps track of student progress. Used internally by large enterprises for their employees, an LMS can be used to monitor the effectiveness of the organization's education and training. It is also beneficial in ensuring state-and federal-mandated courses are delivered in a timely manner. LMSs are frameworks that support teaching and learning and are usually used to support classroom education. Typically they provide management, distribution and sharing of learning contents, student tracking, assignment management, and online peer collaboration. They aim at providing flexibility, accessibility and convenience to their users. 

The 10-Must have Learning Management System 

(LMS) Features

1.Ease of use

2: Integration

3: Content Management 

4: Support for mobile learning 

5: Support for blended learning

6: Testing and assessment 

7: Reporting and Tracking

8: Security

9: Customization and branding 

10. E-Commerce

What is Moodle? 

Moodle is open-source software using the “freemium” payment model, which means that you get the basic elements for free, but must pay for extra options. Moodle is perfectly suited for common educational goals, but to implement it, a company should have at least one qualified IT specialist, plus a separate server and hardware.Moodle offers special modules for creating courses (moodlerooms) which can be used in situ or migrated to another LMS. 

The main features of Moodle:

• -Grade management
• -Student roster / attendance management
• -Assessment implementation
• -Discussion forums
• -Lesson planner
• -Collaboration management
• -File exchange
• -Internal messaging, live chat, wikis

What is BlackBoard?

Blackboard is a customizable online learning tool that can replace or supplement traditional face-to-face classes for a school or any other classroom structure. Many conventional classroom functions have equivalents in Blackboard Learn, allowing students and teachers to emulate just about every physical classroom experience element.In a fully online format, the teacher might assign all materials to the students digitally, communicate outside of class using online tools, and have students discuss and collaborate online. But in a hybrid model, the class might meet in person only a few times a week and use Blackboard activities that students complete outside the course. Finally, in a web-enhanced model, the classes may be face-to-face, but instructors may post supporting materials like syllabus, assignments, or optional discussions online.

 

 The main features of Blackboard:

• -Custom branding, fields and functionality
• -Exam engine
• -Multiple delivery formats
• -Administrative reporting
• -Course catalog
• -Data import/export
• -Grading
• -Individual plans
• -Student portal
• -Goal setting
• -Skills tracking