Functionality and Benefits of a Learning Management System - Case Study Example

LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Learning Management System Author Author’s Affiliation Date Contents Contents 2 Introduction 3 Learning management system (LMS) 4 Functionality of a learning management system 5 Benefits of Learning Management Systems 6 Comparison of different Learning management system 6 Learning Management System in Teaching Computer Science and Engineering 10 Concept of virtual labs 11 Objective of virtual labs 12 Common types 12 Software Lab 12 Virtual Lab 13 Remote Web Lab 13 Conclusion 13 Bibliography 14 Introduction In the past few years, the use of the information technology has raised to a massive extent in every walk of life. At the present, the information technology based tools are not only used for the business and daily activities but it is also being used in the education sector for the management of different educational activities. A learning management system is emerging software used in administration, reporting and other training events. It is greatly used in education sector where this enables effective and well managed learning not only to students but also staff. In education sector massive revolution has occurred for the last past years among which learning management system are one of the useful revolution. It is multifunctional as well as comprehensive. It is greatly needed to enable a well establish link between data that links different thing present together. Learning management system gives power and helps not only the present criteria but also links future together (Phillipo & Krongard, 2012; McIntosh & Torres, 2014). It not only simplifies learning but also incorporate team learning with a same specific vision. Many learning management systems are now a day’s present that are helpful not only in education sector but also in organizations and different firms. This learning process is creative thus enabling the learner to learn from multi dimensions. Learning management system is also referred as e-learning ad is arising a lot in the developing countries. It create new platform for the active learner and as a result learning curve expands to a great extent. To know about different learning management system it is must to throw light on what exactly learning management system is (Ahmad, BawaChinade, Gambaki, Ibrahim, & Ala, 2012). Digital libraries also play role in online learning. This aspect is explained in the paper. Also a comparison is stated of different commonly used learning management system. This literature review explains different scenarios in these concern. Learning management system (LMS) According to (Iskander, 2008; Whelan & Bhartu, 2007), a learning management system is a macro level term that involves, facilitates and manages online learning process for all the basic learners. These learners many be students, administrator or instructor. The services facilitated in terms of learning management system include interactive strategies, organizing and a monitoring control among learning groups. According to (Kats, 2010), there are six tasks that are involved in active learning management system. These include: Creation organizations communication collaboration assessment One can say that learning management system is basically software that is emerging trends set in different institutes. Used in order to monitor and control the learning and training conducted in any organization. Its effects on society especially the people that are involved in learning management system and also the people around these learners get a lot to attain that is beneficial for them in one way or another. Commonly used learning management systems are Moodle, edmodo, Blackboard, sumtotal system and skillsoft. Among theses Moodle is the most commonly used in learning systems.it provides open atmosphere for the learner to nourish. Every year there is seen a massive increase in the users of these top five learning management system. The number of user keeps on increasing with the spread on awareness among the individuals (McIntosh D. , 2015). Functionality of a learning management system Learning management system is used by various companies and organizations in order to conduct a healthy learning environment and to attain goals more efficiently and effectively. It also regulates personal mastery and evaluates processes of human resources. Human resources may include all the staff, external and internal stakeholder and other members. Followings are the functionalities of an active, healthy and productive learning management system (McIntosh D. , 2015; Kim & Lee, 2008): A learning management system has a competitive system in managing differently. It allows to search about any course and gives complete information regarding it. Initiates online training that are helpful not only for students but also for instructors and also organizations. Full security and privacy is available. Increases and widens the capability of students and teachers. Provides a platform for gaining information on multiple topics. Debate and discussions platform with known limitations. This creates better understanding and learner learns more this way. Builds skills of individual regarding development. Broader communication capacity of learners. It is an online test platform. One can test ability in different courses to how know much one has learned. Also allows in creating tasks and modules that are helpful in many ways. Creates surveys that are categorized in different field. Special option for computer sciences and arts that helps in better understanding. Benefits of Learning Management Systems A large number of people around the globe get a number of benefits in various ways. All the people linked with different field utilize and enjoy learning management system. Individuals mostly related behavior sciences that include different human resources are the benefiters of learning management system. These people are mostly manufacturers, organization controllers and other management bodies. Examples include (Watson & Watson, 2007; McIntosh & Torres, 2014): Manufacturers and distributors pharmaceutical products, Bodies involved in health and hygiene, marketing and finance, fuel suppliers , distributors of goods, and people involved in environmental sector Comparison of different Learning management system A good and pure learning management system is a new way for learning in higher education learning and professional degrees. Everything is now organized in electronic way. Emerging technology has created new flexible and collaborative platforms that enhance learning. Moodle is an example of one learning management system that is spreading around the world (Ahmad, BawaChinade, Gambaki, Ibrahim, & Ala, 2012). Now a days there are many new learning management system coming in the market and creating competitive atmosphere. On the top of all is Moodle. That is used the most all around the world. It has large amount of users and every year its users keep on increasing (McIntosh D. , 2015). According to (Cole & Foster, 2008), people have become fans of Moodle due to the reason that it provides open platform to people that helps and provide huge support to the learner. Moodle is free and open source that gives its users access to different resources linked together. There is no restriction or barrier for a learner to get knowledge. Many prominent educational institutes prefer Moodle and make contracts with it so they can facilitate their learner effectively and efficiently. It provides opportunity to teachers and student to share their work online. This creates positive learning environment. An interesting thing about Moodle is that it is easy to understand. Once a learner has got complete information about it, it gets easy for individual to adopt Moodle learning process. Moodle is multi beneficial i.e. it has many features and learner can rejoice knowledge in a creative way. From simple to complicated, Moodle has many features. There may be features that learner may never see but still it provides these activities for its users (Cole & Foster, 2008). Blackboard is another online e-learning platform. It is not only used for learning purpose but also for online transaction. It has many significant features that separate it a bit from Moodle. It uses new emerging techniques for the learning process and builds an interactive forum for community. It allows sharing the learning material to a macro level (Iskander, 2008). Blackboard makes it easier for the learners to connect and communicate easily. It makes it possible that all imbegvities of learners are removed and learner is satisfied. Using different tools and new technologies it regulates information among the user it creates a platform that is just like classrooms and enables to discuss learning programs. All the discussions can be easily carried out along with critical and argumentative discussions. So one can say that a healthy environment is created. However, a drawback is that it is not free. Many people find price as barrier. And prefer Moodle and other free learning management systems instead. And another is that it restricts its user. Like one has to do a contract in order to use only Blackboard at a time. And the contracts done are long term (Cole & Foster, 2008). Another learning management system is WebCT. It stands for web course tools. It is a well-managed online e-learning that enables the students to use various tools that are helpful in understanding and delivering lectures. It is a platform of well-organized and managed platform that gives a whole content is a represent able way. It is highly interactive. Various interactive tools are present like discussion platform, conferencing, delivering lectures and much more. The communication here facilitates communication among the learners. It determines the interest of students and develops more interactive capacity among them. There occur many criticism on WebCT due to which there are les users of it as compare to Moodle and Blackboard (Kats, 2010; Iskander, 2008). Sakai is another learning management system that is an open source. It is an open source education provider that widens user knowledge and use creative teaching techniques. There is a special license that allows and nourishes learning mechanism. It is interesting not only for students but also organizational members and staff. There are many tools that Sakai uses. These tools create an interactive forum and conduct many lessons sessions that include video, chats and discussions. Users collaborate with one another and work together in a group wise manner. An interesting trait that Sakai shares with Moodle is that it has no fee. No license is required in order to work as a part of Sakai. A good peer learning is conducted here as a result. Sakai gets updated much as compared to other and no external person can close it as it is free from external factors and has special license. Significant features of Sakai are that it is collaborative, secures private data, gives links to many sites, platform of group collective study, gives organized lectures, builds communication and interaction, improves writing skills and process, and creates presentations in a creative manner and others. According to a research Blackboard was used massively but its use decreased in the year 2008. Use of open source learning management system got increased to a great extent. Its place in market was an increase to a greater extent. Comparison of its use increased to 33% from 2005 to 2009. Moodle use was preferred by all as it is open free source and gives learner a broader platform. According to (The Campus Computing Project, 2008), 13.8 percent identified Moodle or Sakai as the campus learning management system, from 10.3 % in 2007 and 7.2 percent in 2006. All the learning organizations preferred Sakai and Moodle but the majority adopted Moodle the most and its users are also increasing on a massive scale every year. Public and private sectors both universities especially engineering and computer sciences offering institutes used Moodle 28%, Sakai 32% and 40% used Blackboard. In short with the development in other sectors e-learning and learning management system use has been adopted by many developed countries’ university. Learning Management System in Teaching Computer Science and Engineering Learning management system is excessively used in the field on computer sciences and arts. Various courses are offered by engineering universities are available to be taught through learning management system. Though learning management system is applicable in all types of studies but the most benefiters are the learners of computer science and engineering. Now a days it is an emerging trend to get knowledge online. In computer sciences it becomes easy to teach and understand as the instructor can easily explain and demonstrate through share screen and other tools provided by various learning management system. It is an observed result that e-learning is more fruitful than other teaching mechanism. According to (Garrote, 2012)there was a survey done in engineering schools that studied the utilization of learning management system in the teaching process. The results stated that the instructors could not use the learning management system due to the reason that there might be an undesirable result on the teaching. Proper results could be derived only if proper utilization is carried out. For this training should be given to the instructors indulged in learning management system. Work to be done by computer science students is mostly of practical. So the things done theoretically or by the source of discussions cannot give result as the same things done on the computer. Video calls and online chat through the process of learning management system can remove this hindrance. As a result an active computer science learning takes places effectively and efficiently which is of great practical importance. Concept of virtual labs Nowadays virtual lab are getting lot of fame. These labs are basically an online laboratories that provides a platform through which the individuals that are learners communicate through performing any experiment which does not has any realistic property. These labs are of great importance for an active learning. They create a place especially for the learning of engineering students. They can easily perform experiments here and learn positively. Many developed countries have introduced this online experimentation technique for better learning. Virtual labs are not only helpful in learning but they contribute a lot in the training process. One of the best online lab is CISCO that is online training courses platform. MIT is another example where courses are taught using these labs. Engineering programs in specific uses these kinds of labs among which Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is commonly used for distance learning. This provides a broader platform for engineering program by giving many experiential facilities. The emerging technology has removed the hindrance that first existed in performing experiments. At first many programs were ignored due to lack of techniques that virtual libraries have now created. Many engineering, medical and other sciences programs were not conducted but now this issue has been solved. Now with the use of new technology experiential learning is motivated and programs that were once neglected can easily be conducted. The gap can now be removed by initiating the revolution in the communications technology and the learner can be entertained and fully utilize the resources (Farooq, Khlad, & Ali, 2013). Objective of virtual labs These labs are platform for a learner of every stage. These provide to Labs in various programs of Science and Engineering. This provides all resources through which learners’ conducts experiment and results in better learning. Many features are available like video discussions, animated explanations and self-evaluation through which one can better understand and know oneself learning. Common types Many researchers have created papers in this regard. And have stated different types of virtual labs. Common among these are listed below Software labs Virtual labs Remote web labs Software Lab These labs have specification that they can easily be computed or installed in different computers without involving internet facility. The user of that certain computer can make use of it anytime and anywhere. The only disadvantage lies in these type of labs is that the instructor cannot know the activities or the progress about student lab (Farooq, Khlad, & Ali, 2013). Virtual Lab These labs are listed among those that incorporate the availability of internet. The user is easily accessible to its lab anytime and anywhere. Unlike software lab the instructor can easily overview the progress been carried out by the student. These labs are just simulation. Remote Web Lab These labs also involve internet connection and are accessible anywhere. Real time experiments are conducted here with the count ability of teacher on students work and also the instructor can provide guidance to student (Farooq, Khlad, & Ali, 2013). Conclusion Learning management system (LMS) is a latest emerging trend which makes positive use of the growing power of information technology. It attracts the learner no matter what field the learner is following, it gives platform to nourish mind and explore a lot. The entire well establish universities of developed countries are making use of it especially the one offering computer sciences. At present the emerging use of online learning is playing significant role in the walk of life. This literature review has demonstrated various e-learning strategies and its uses. Online learning is the emerging way of acquiring knowledge that is making life easier of all the individuals indulged in learning. This paper has summarized the viewpoints of other researchers and authors. This paper has also discussed some of the latest technologies which can be adopted for the online learning processes like digital libraries. Bibliography Ahmad, S. A., BawaChinade, U., Gambaki, A. M., Ibrahim, S., & Ala, N. A. (2012). THE NEED FOR MOODLE AS A LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES: DIGESTING UNIVERSITY UTARA MALAYSIA LEARNING ZONE AS A CASE STUDY. Academic Research International, Volume 2 Issue 3, 444-458. Cole, J., & Foster, H. (2008). Using Moodle: Teaching with the Popular Open Source Course Management System. New York: O'Reilly Media. Farooq, M., Khlad, H., & Ali, U. (2013). LMS and Virtual Labs for Engineering Education. Academ of Contemporary Research Journal, Volume 2 Issue 4, 171-174. Garrote, R. (2012). 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