The Right Learning Management Systems

To begin with, there are multiple ways we can incorporate a new kind of teaching and learning that will help our students become more self-sufficient in their education. Finding and choosing a learning management system (LMS) that fits our district’s needs is crucial to establishing more student led learning. One of the key components that Katie Ash pointed out in her article on learning management systems is that whatever system is chosen, it should be done based on the content and curriculum that the school currently uses. As mentioned in Ash’s article, “you really need to be having a discussion about your overall program goals.” It is hard enough to manage current systems within the school let alone incorporate new ones. If our district were to hire an educational technologist it would give us the opportunity to research and test out different systems and save individual teachers valuable time that they can’t afford to lose.

There are a variety of different LMS to choose from including Schoology, Edmodo, Google Classroom, and Blackboard. What these management systems provide are opportunities for students to apply themselves in a safe online community where they can complete assignments, interact with other students and teachers, and gather feedback from their peers or instructors to make proper changes in their assignments.

After spending some time investigating and testing out these LMS I feel that the best one that would fit our district’s needs and goals would be Edmodo. One of the greatest features of Edmodo is that it creates an opportunity for there to be social presence. Social presence is crucial when it comes to establishing a learning management system because students still need to feel connected with their peers and instructors. According to an article written by Kia Bentley she states, “social presence has been both conceptually and empirically linked to the quality of the online learning, including levels of student participation, satisfaction, and student engagement.” An LMS that provides great social presence is important because students feel more encouraged and learn more when there is a direct connection with their instructor and their peers. When students have the opportunity to be more engaged with their peers and instructors the more enriched their education becomes. The way Edmodo is set up is very similar to the social networking site Facebook, so it provides many chances for students to be engaged in a safe and secure educational community. Students can get feedback on assignments from their peers and instructors in a timely manner and generate discussions which could produce new ideas. This type of social presence allows for students to get the feeling that their instructor and peers are real, known, and connected through mediated communication.

Another reason Edmodo is a great resource for our district is because it provides a variety of different features that instructors can choose from depending on how they want to organize their classroom. There are different options for teachers to use such as creating assignments, polls, quizzes, and establishing groups for group work. Teachers can also link videos to assignments or even microlectures that engage students in their learning. Edmodo also provides opportunity for students to receive feedback from their instructors as well as their peers. This helps to establish a sense of community within the online learning platform.

Finally, a general concern when it comes to students and the use of technology and the internet is safety. Edmodo is secure and safe for students to use because they are a part of a group that is run by the instructor and members can only join with an invite from that person. Take a look at Edmodo’s Privacy Policy to confirm that this platform is a secure environment for our students. 

Works Cited:

Bentley, Kia. "The Centrality of Social Presence in Online Teaching and Learning." . Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://wp.vcu.edu/online-learning-summit/files/2012/05/Bentley.pdf>.

Ash, K. (2013). How to Choose the right Learning Management System. Retrieved on March 18, 2015 from http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2013/06/12/03lms-evaluation.h06.html