T2+-+LMS+User+Group

LMS's - morphed into are they dead?
Conversation wandered from LMS control issues to the role of the teacher

Issues discussed LMS provides privacy - for who and for what? Safe place to start? Issues with reliability/preformance of institute service vs free open tools Copyright concerns? Open access - allow 2 way access Need to establish your expectations of a LMS so you can then measure if it meets needs or not // is dead or not LMS can be a form of institutional control if management choose to establish those controls (templating/approval of teacher edits) LM can stifle creativity Teachers needs to play/experiment to know whether a tool suits their learners / their teaching

Should assessment drive the learning? Is assessment the drug that corrupts learning? In LMS context we often feel the need to have assessments drive activity within the course, more so than in face 2 face courses.

Engagement is the key - design of activities is crucial for engagement, regardless of container (LMS or otherwise)

Open access - does this mean open access to "our" content or open content or open learning

Assessment flexibility- tools can mix assessment types - essay questions in moodle quiz, lesson module offers decision tree options.

Formats of LMS are constrictive - look and feel, plus course formats - Moodle looks like a poor cousin to facebook. Yes but purpose of LMS is different to facebook - LMs content/activities need some structure enforced by teacher

Design is crucial for all learning - whether in LMS or not. Who has time, expertise?

Does it need to look good or does it just need to work? Some students need familiarity to build confidence/capability

Teacher use of technology tends to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary

Principles of using free/open tools

LMS and Mahara student evaluations say usability is the biggest issue.

Need to add the social aspect, which is a hook for engagement. Can use tools within LMS but are restrictive. Although if offer social specific spaces (e.g. CPIT social spaces), can develop student use significantly.

How to keep personal separate from professional persona when using web2.0 tools. Need to set expectations as each teacher will have different response to interacting "socially" online.

Our own culture/backgrounds can be different to many of our students - but not all our students are

The way an LMS is used comes down to design, and then down to skills of teacher to control that environment.

What is the role of the LMS for the institution? - what does an institution need an LMS to do?

What is replacing it? - synchronous tools? - Google apps? > is Google moving to OS LMS? Who have a vested interest? - Governments, businesses, institutions, teachers (early & late adopters), students - Question: Where is the continuing staff development for teachers? - One problem is teachers want (research shows) just-in-time, hands-on, one-on-one PD. Resources aren't there. Not how we teach our students either. - is it limited by change mgmt strategy adopted by institution? sometimes high-level commitment but not clear understanding what that actually takes? - top-down mgmt ? or bottom-up - teachers innovating. fostering that? - how many institutions have someone who's responsible for e-Learning/EdTech on senior management team?

Are we still trying to push the LMS when we should be pushing beyond that? Management can be LMS focused. For teachers who are ready to continue, one problem is that the LMS is closed, lots of closed systems, so you can't peek into other courses? Maybe emphasise difference between setting up the course and using the course?

Visiting masters : e-learning expert works with teacher for 3 years: 80-20, 50-50, 20-80 But who has the resources for that?

What about preferred teaching styles?

What is the role of the LMS for the institution? - what does an institution need an LMS to do? - be a bridge for starting staff - administrative functions - organising staff & students into one place - assessment (but who is really doing this?)

Waikato runs pilots This year: Twitter pilot (tweeting rather than written observations), Google Docs pilot, Moodle is not the end-all, be-all