Learning Management System - Literature review Example

of the of the 20 December Executive Summary Organizations are brainstorming to get the adequate combination of individuals, procedures and systems in order to administer their learning program, as the education and training have become more significant to success. The Learning Management Systems (LMS), during the last 15 years have become vital for e-Learning contributors as platform to hold course registration, substance storage and deliverance, evaluation, supervision and treatment (Lai and Savage 1-21). On the other hand, the LMS market has remained very disjointed. We cannot find any particular e-Learner organization that has get fame and analyst organizations that directs this industry such as Bersin & Associatesi, report that client can select from numerous sources. Each source can choose to cater different category of organizations- that includes multinational corporations, universities, Government agencies and non-profit along with those with potency and limitation and expenditure. At present, more than 40% of U.S. training organizations inform that they have an LMS established, but levels of approval, come back on investments and efficacy differs in making selection of the factual means for your circumstances a complicated practice. Learning Management System In this atmosphere, open-source LMS solutions have been gradually getting hold of position on their business matching part. Several of these open-source proposals got their start in academic circles but they have built in infrastructure in the Government, non-profit and corporate markets. Today, the leading open-source LMS selection offers: Feature- Rich Toolsets Venture- Position constancy, scalability and safety: A high level of control and flexibility and usually lower protracted period costs than for profit option’s ones. This study presents a general idea to assist you in make a decision if an LMS is appropriate option for your firm. They will also look at the strong point and limitations of the open source LMS resolution generally; Moodle and Sakai are two of the most popular open-source assistance in particular. Preface to LMS A multiplicity in names included in the LMS group is (HAMPEL 35-40): Virtual learning environments Course management systems Collaborative learning environments When we consider the competence and features of the open-source platforms, they’re offered differently by each of them. However, according to the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) iii, a forceful LMS should at least do the following: Concentrate and computerize administration Proposing self-service self-guided services (like learner’s self-registration for the applied courses) quick accumulation and deliver learning substance strengthening training ideas on measurable Web-based medium, sustaining transferability and standards like SCORM, customize content and facilitate knowledge reprocess. General role included in most enterprise-level LMS solutions nowadays also includes Content management make available the organizing over the storage aggregation, recovery and deliverance of learning content. LMS managers can also make catalogues and match apprentice or by grouping the learners together to courses (Yilmaz 150-155). Rebranding and Customization Options Customer management tools facilitate managers to classify customers and allocate them to respective groups and roles. Evaluation design, grading and monitoring features as relationship tools like e-mail, wikis, discussion boards and chats. Reporting and analyzing system and course utilization progress of learners, results and security features restricting access to authorized individuals and roles. These lists are not comprehensive, as different organizations also require LMS to go well with other software systems including e-commerce capacities, supervise proficiency or meet other standards. The high-end LMS accessible including various open source assistance –put forward toolsets to meet these prerequisite and more. What LMS cannot do The one thing that most LMS applications are not well in is actually that they can’t compose the content for the courses and trainings. An enterprise LMS can save store and deliver content develop in a range of different arrangements- everything from MS Office manuscript to Flash based videos and applications. But you will definitely have to build up these files using individual, committed matter authoring software. In addition, when we are to plan our syllabus and courses, an LMS is not an alternative for the education design. Various LMS institutions have gear to support this procedure such as lesson plotter or planner features .However, a considerable planning and expertise is required to create an effective e-learning program. The firms must see if they can bear the complexity and expense of inaugurating the application on their own servers or they can subscribe to a software-as-a-service (SaaS) option in order to invest in or switch to a new LMS. An LMS when inaugurated, give firms the maximum level of be in charge of the data, when dealing with the sensitive information, it may become the significant feature. In other scenarios, though a seller –hosted LMS may be more cost effective option, as it limits the firm to execute the tools and human resources to store and sustain and modernize the application. Fortunately, now the most of the open-source LMS and business related LMS platforms propose both the options. As you will be less dependent on a particular organization or distributor association to host, sustain, modify or modernize your system. Evaluating Costs and Return on Investment (ROI) An LMS can be relatively high priced as a firm software tool and there are fluctuations in the cost as the software installation package is not fixed. Vendors of Commercial LMS usually impose an ongoing annual license, maintenance or subscription charges based on the number of users in your organization. Additionally, considerable modification or other services upfront are the key requirements for most LMS installations. That may consist of trademark, incorporation of other software systems, one time charges on installation, data import/export or uploading and more. Ultimately, the entire cost of possession of an LMS can consist of related costs including: Holding and facilitating agreements Consulting Training IT tools and Servers Improving Expenses Recruitment With reference to a 2010 eLearning Guild Surveyiv of 909 of its members, the ‘size’ of your institute affects the cost to acquire, customize and install an LMS in your institution. All these expenses also depend on firm’s existing resources and its requirements may range from less than $10000 to more than $1 million. Following the in progress annual upholding costs can vary from less than $10000 to more than $250000. Regardless of these LMS associated costs yet various studies have declared that for most of the organizations, an LMS provides a constructive ROI. It may enhance the efficiency of instructors and training managers get better results and lessen the agreement cost, among other results. Planning is Key With such inconsistency in the mechanism, costs and hosting options, the key to successful selecting and implementing an LMS is a watchful planning. It is essential to evaluate you firm’s needs and requirements according to the allocated budget, staffing and other available resources. Vigilant concern of all these will assist in a decision to go for LMS (Davis and Surajballi 379-381). Open-Source outline Open- source solutions are based on software for which the source “code” is allotted under a certificate which allows users to access alter and improve it. Even though, the specifications of the software license can differ from application to application but mostly open-source software is liberated for use in an unrestricted way. Since open-source idea came into existence in 1998, it has experienced constant development. Now there is open source solutions availability for everything from computer operating system such as Linux to complicated business application like customer relationship management, content management and learning management systems. The Open- source LMS An analysis was conducted by Epic Performance Improvement (EPIC), according to which there are availability of more than 50% open-source LMS platforms, out of these only few have turned out to be considered as enterprise-grade solutions. LMS are being used in a variety of environments according to EPIC’s study, these includes: Large corporate enterprise Small and Medium sized businesses(SMB) Government and public sector organizations Primary and Secondary education Learning project specific situations Higher education The primary goal of the most popular open-source solutions and in some situations developed by them is the ‘higher education market’. E.g. both Sakai and Moodle have their origin from academia but they continue to be dominant actors there (Truelson 43-48). The open- source LMS applications that are unbeaten, have steadily developed afar of their higher education targeted market, usually by initially build up infrastructure in the Government and non-profit markets and then getting into corporate training departments. Benefits of an Open-Source LMS We know that not any particular open-source LMS platform is ideal for every institution in different situation; few of them evaluate quite constructively to their business counterparts and offer the following advantages: Ease of customization: Due to the open code, its use can be easy and could be modified to meet particular organization’s requirements like interaction with other enterprise systems that include ERPs and HR software packages. They can be rebranded with ease. Extensibility through the addition of third party Ease in localization: Ease in modification for use in languages is there which is ignored by the most commercial suppliers. Flexibility to host customizes, develop and get services, training and support from various sources rather than from a particular organization. Omitting licensing costs let the organization to keep more budgets for system alteration and often reduced total product costs. Commonly, quicker bug is get fixed, new version updates, security space releases and feature upgrades. Safeguarding from commercial product proposing distraction caused by vendor collapse, Mergers and acquisitions. Weaknesses and Risks Regardless of these advantages, open-source LMS solutions are not without its set of problems. Firstly, even with the free source code and lack of ongoing licensing costs, it can cost about the same (or in some instances, more) to install and modify an open-source system to be a commercial one. Usually, organizations also have to set out financial plans to cater to system maintenance, technology infrastructure, training, and support & staffing and administration, just as much as they would for a commercial product. Good documentation, well-defined product roadmaps and core development teams are features that set apart most high-end open-source platforms run by non-profit foundations. However, the lesser known solutions are probably lacking in these. Choosing an Open-Source Option: Organizations need to apply the same principles that they do when evaluating commercial offerings, at the time of evaluating open-source LMS platforms. They should begin by thoroughly assessing all necessities and requirements while also considering their budget and resource availability and then based on these criteria, evaluate solutions. Epic’s open-source LMS analysis, for open-source platforms, established that there are numerous supplementary factors that should also be taken into account: The solution should be license approved by the Open Source Initiative. An active developer community Availability of stable, released versions. A SCORM compliant open-source LMS Access to published details about previous adopters. Presence of a settled organization backing up the platform’s current development. Out of an option of dozen available open-source LMS solutions all of which meet these requisites, the rest of this white paper will emphasize on two of the most accepted and highly rated options: Moodle and Sakai. Moodle vs. Sakai As LMS solutions were designed primarily for the education marketplace, both Moodle and Sakai share common origins. However there are significant differences in the underlying technologies and approaches of both. Meet Moodle Moodle was originally developed by an Australian graduate student, Martin Dougiamas, in 1999, as a course management system. Initially, this platform was intended only for the education market and released publicly in the year 2002 (Aranda 25-28). The Moodle Trust essentially supervises the platform’s core development. Since the software has been devised to be greatly modular, several developers and associations have crafted plug-ins and additional add-ons to enhance its functionality over the years. PHP, a common free scripting language originally developed for building dynamic Web pages, is used to write Moodle’s source code. Moodle is considered to be the most prevalent of the open-source LMS systems used today. The Moodle Trust had issued that by the end of October 2010, over 49,600 registered sites were using Moodle to provide roughly 4 million courses to 38 million users worldwide (Aranda 25-28). Moodle Strengths and Weaknesses Most of Moodle’s acclaim depends upon the ease of utility. Being an LMS, it offers a strong toolset, thanks in particular to plug-in modules that significantly boost its functionality. Moodle’s set of features includes (Aranda 25-28): Site administrator and management tools Online profile building, role-based assignments and permissions, multiple authentication options and a wide array of other user management options. Enrolment and registration plug-ins and tools Communications & Course management options that comprise of forums, wikis, chat, assessment builders and more. Moodle’s primary design is aimed at being simple and effectual as possible. This scheme has paid surpluses in the shape of raised satisfaction ratings among Moodle users. As a part of a research, the eLearning Guild has learnt that among LMS platforms, Moodle is top-rated by the members due to satisfaction with features like ease of installation, ease of use and execution time. Moodle also has its fair share of detractors. A few power LMS users critique that without investing time in extensive coding work, its interface design doesn’t possess sufficient options for customizing its feel and look. Users also make a case that Moodle depends quite heavily on third-party add-ons to develop functionality instead of integrating it as part of the core product. This can raise the workload for managing and renewing the software upon release of new versions. Lastly, Moodle is deficient of full-featured maintenance toolset that caters to competency development as well (Marshall 277-287). All of which is needed by a number of considerable business clients. In certain markets where robust competency management is a requirement, Moodle sadly falls short even with the presence of workarounds that allow some competency tracking and reporting. In the right setting, Moodle is an ideal LMS solution regardless of these limitations. Its emphasis on ease-of-use renders it perfect for smaller resource organizations like schools, small businesses, local government agencies as well as non-profits. Moodle is also ideal for swift deployment needs for organization that demand an LMS to not only deliver but also track a learning or tracking program in good time or on a project basis. Meet Sakai In comparison to Moodle, a more centrally planned model was employed develop Sakai. A Mellon Foundation grant funded the creation of Sakai. It was built by a consortium of five highly reputed U.S. universities consisting of Stanford, Indiana, MIT, UC Berkeley and Michigan and all its existing tools were supplied by each of the founding institutions. Sakai was publically released in 2005 and is now run by the Sakai Foundation, which manages its project roadmap and development. The application is designed to be a service-oriented suite and has been programmed in Java. As Sakai is a newer platform, it has yet not attained a large distribution outside the higher education marketplace that Moodle has accomplished. Its repertoire including higher-end features, security and scalability have, however, made it prevalent with large universities that need a strong solution and it is gradually rising to make headway in the government and public sector markets as well. Sakai Strengths and Weaknesses Sakai has been conceived as a joint learning environment and its tools for collaboration most certainly encompass the full range as proffered by most profit-making solutions. Sakai provides four key categories of tools and features: 1. General collaboration features: These spans from course announcements, Wikis and then RSS feeds to comprise the most conventional Web-based collaboration and communications tools. 2. Teaching and learning features: These course management and learning tools enable instructors to create and plan lessons, construct and grade assignments, formulate and put up tests and further assessments or even share variable files via a Dropbox. 3. Portfolio tools: Feature offerings of these tools are designed as such that they aid users in creating, publishing, sharing, and viewing portfolios of work. This package includes an assortment of wizards, templates and matrices to make building of portfolios quite easy. 4. Administrative management: Sakai’s toolkits supply robust preferences for overseeing accounts, managing user roles, setting up dates and editing, site setup, data incorporation and warehousing tasks. Experts and customers constantly rate Sakai at or close to the top amid other open-source LMS platforms due to its reporting features, the ease of customization and rebranding and its collaborative tools. On the downside, Sakai’s critics complain that, like Moodle, it lacks elaborate competency profiling and management, making it inacceptable for some big enterprise environments. It also can be challenging to integrate Sakai with other enterprise software systems, such as talent management, other HR software suites, and ERP solutions. Sakai’s greater complexity also makes it more challenging to install and set up than Moodle. This makes it less suitable for simple, rapid deployment projects that require an LMS. Final Thoughts An open-source LMS solution is not appropriate for each consumer or situation. Sizable organizations that call for competency profiling and compact integration with a wide selection of other systems will perhaps want to persist with the commercial business offerings. However for many government agencies, small- and medium-sized businesses, higher education set-ups and non-profits, either Sakai or Moodle can be a great solution. Both offer the scalability and volume to support an extensive number of installations exceeding more than 200,000 users. Both supply fine feature packages, commendable administration and management tools, and enterprise-grade security. Significantly, both platforms are overseen by foundations with vivid and enterprising product roadmaps. These on-going expansion plans will allow Sakai and Moodle to take advantage of new developments in Web and education technology such as the evolution of social media (Hustad and Arntzen 17-35). Eventually, selecting which solution is superior relies on judging your organization’s needs. If customization, informing and analytics and collaboration are high concerns for your eLearning program, Sakai is undoubtedly your best bet. If you’re looking for ease of use, extensibility, and a wide base of other customers— as well as service and support vendors — Moodle may be your final priority. Irrespective, open-source platforms have reached a level of development that merits evaluation if you’re deliberating capitalizing in a upgraded or improved LMS. The benefits they offer with regards to lower costs and better tractability could constitute them to be an excellent solution for your organization. Work Cited Aranda, Adanays Diaz. "Moodle for Distance Education." Distance Learning 8.2 (2011): 25-8. Print. Davis, Renee, and Vaneeta Surajballi. "Successful Implementation and use of a Learning Management System." Journal of continuing education in nursing 45.9 (2014): 379-81. Print. HAMPEL, György. "Learning in a Virtual Environment." Acta Technica Corvininesis - Bulletin of Engineering 7.4 (2014): 35-40. Print. Hustad, Eli, and Aurélie Aurilla Bechina Arntzen. "Facilitating Teaching and Learning Capabilities in Social Learning Management Systems: Challenges, Issues, and Implications for Design." Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science 17.1 (2013): 17-35. Print. Lai, Alyssa, and Philip Savage. "Learning Management Systems and Principles of Good Teaching: Instructor and Student Perspectives." Canadian Journal of Learning & Technology 39.3 (2013): 1-21. Print Marshall, Patricia L. "Moodle as a Data Portal in a Study of Cultural Relevance in K-2 Mathematics." Educational Forum 77.3 (2013): 277-87. Print. Truelson, Sarah. "Moodle." Distance Learning 9.1 (2012): 43-8. Print. Yilmaz, Yucel. "Knowledge Management in E-Learning Practices." Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology - TOJET 11.2 (2012): 150-5. Print. Read More