"What learning management system do you use at your school?" This question was asked during a meeting of different heads of schools. Different responses were given - "ZOOM", "Whatsapp", "e-mail", etc. There was clearly much ignorance about what constitutes a learning management system (LMS).
Last month I had the priviledge to facilitate a workshop at a school which desired to implement an LMS. As I always do, my first task was to make the audience understand that LMS is not just an application or an item of hardware but a well planned system which consists of standard operating procedures, people, and equipment. Software or hardware is only a component of equipment.
To be successfully implemented focus should not just be on the equipment part of the LMS; all elements - standard operating procedures, people and equipment - ought to be well defined.
1. Standard operating procedures
Before your teachers or lecturers can start using a system there should be procedures in place that should ensure:
- Uploads of learning materials are regulated by deadlines and a quality assurance policy.
- Learning materials (content on the system) conforms to a specified standard.
- Accountability for abrogations of rules. If a system is to be successful there should be rules that compel everyone to correctly use the system and there should be penalties for those who don't adhere to rules.
2. People
Introducing a new information system often comes with creating new roles. For the school I mentioned earlier we recommended having a Content Editor who would ensure all notes and other learning materials have a standardised format and are free of typos or formatting erros; E-learning Support Officer, a person who will be available to assist users whenever they encounter a technical or usability challenge, and Production Room Officer to maintain a schedule of 'who produces content and at what time'; he or she should manage the room selected for content production.
3. Equipment
Under "people" above I mentioned a production room. This room can be equipped with basic facilities such as an Internet router for unlimited Internet connection (I recommend ZAMTEL's Velocity), a video camera or phone with a good camera, and a white board! It should be understood that ZOOM, SKype, or Email are not e-learning systems. These are simply minor tools that can be used in a learning management system. An LMS is bigger than any of these apps. A learning management system has extensive features that enables lecturers to deliver training, carry out assessments, manage student records, and monitor each learner's progress. A well known LMS equipped with all these facilities is Moodle. It is used by about 65% of universities around the world. Guess what, it is open source and can be used for free! Another platform you may consider using which is readily accessible is Google Classroom.
Tip if you Struggle with Connection problems
May I share an experience I had some two months ago. I hired a teacher of IT to teach computer lessons to my son via an e-learning platform. The lessons didn't go very well because of intermittent internet connections. Much of the time was getting wasted on "Can you hear me now? Hello... are you there?" Such experiences waste time and they demotivate the learner.
Here is my suggestion: You dont have to do live recordings for it to be e-learning. A more effective approach is to take your whiteboard and marker and make short videos of your lessons. Such a video will be far more effective and reusable than a live session. Yes, you can use live sessions if your connection is reliable and more importantly when giving feedback on certain tasks you gave your student. But if it is delivering a lesson, a more effective approach is uploading pre-recorded videos. Such videos enable a learner to rewind, pause, and play again for full comprehension of a concept. Many universities use this approach; live sessions are reserved for taking questions from students over items they may never have fully understood.
I hope you found this useful. Enjoy your day.
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