LMS implementation is a complex process which requires competent planning and consistent maintenance in order to achieve success. Asset management through planning, uploading, documentation, and overcoming constraints is a vital criterion. LMS systems are unable to function unless proper steps are taken in its organization and development. This report will examine the process of organizing and uploading assets as well as the general user experience of utilizing an LMS system.
Uploading Assets
Prior to uploading assets into the LMS, it is important to organize them. It may be viable to create separate master folders to divide the assets in a manner which will be easy to find and publish. Each project should have a separate folder, with each one having subfolders for major learning assets such as online lectures, offline recordings, PowerPoint presentations, discussion threads, online quizzes, and others.
A generic folder structure should be adequate for managing the file system. The CourseSites LMS offers a fluid design in creating a course which allows to set up administrative aspects such as course name, ID, and description. Students can then be invited to join the course through a link. On CourseSites, one can select to add a content package (SCORM) to the course by browsing the computer file system. Since all the project files have been organized beforehand, it is simple to find the necessary content and upload it to the LMS. It is then possible to select package information, availability, and grading based on instructor preferences for the course. Once the package is uploaded, the content becomes fully available for use and participation.
eLearning LMS require consistent maintenance and updates in order to revise content as necessary. Therefore, it is important to monitor the LMS and plan updates, which can be done through quick fixes or major updates in planned intervals. Revisions can also be documented by acquiring feedback from users via a report bugs function or user forums. All revisions should be maintained in an update log, which can be made public for transparency and user communication.
Keeping a close track of changes allows for better tracking of progress and diagnostics if there are any issues. Course agility can be enhanced by using a microlearning-based system which has authoring tools integrated into the LMS. This allows for frequent updates and use of smaller and more flexible lessons, which is becoming a part of the general microlearning trend currently, both in education and the workplace (Semingson, Crosslin, & Dellinger, 2015).
User Experience
For this assignment, a classmate’s LMS was examined thoroughly. It was overall a positive experience. It was evident that the system, menus, and content were grouped and positioned in a manner that was accessible and information was easily findable. There were smooth transitions of content and organization followed logical outlines which contributed strongly to the ability for the synthesis of information. As an educational tool, the LMS seems to provide value due to its streamlined design and straightforward purpose.
Overall, the general experience was supportive of the learning process. The most helpful aspect was that alongside the primary information, the course content included a brief dictionary with important terms, diagrams to specify the described processes, and links to additional material for independent learning. Alongside design, the usefulness of content in a course is vital to student engagement and the ultimate goal of the system – to promote effective learning.
This can include curation and delivery of relevant content at the correct moment, thus automating the learning path for students. This can significantly optimize the learning process through the transitions which benefit from the attention and interest of the student (Dailey-Herbert, 2018). The LMS examined for the assignment demonstrated fundamental elements of such delivery of content that positively contributes to the user experience.
Main Constraints
The main constraint of the course that could be identified is a lack of consistency. Each section of the course attempted to position content differently and offered a variety of supporting materials. However, it was done to the point that a user has to readjust their approach to learning the content and, at times, switch learning styles. This was done most likely for the purpose of creativity and ensuring that the user will not become disengaged with the content.
However, such a lack of consistency in presentation can create challenges for users and interrupt the learning process. As a result, the content will not be interpreted as well as it would be in traditional educational settings. This was reflective on the design and outline of the menus as well since the content did not follow a similar structure for each section of the course.
The one change to the LMS that would benefit it is the decluttering of the navigation controls and menus. The layout should follow a simplistic design that would not take time for new users to figure out. It may be wise to use easily recognizable navigational icons and labels. Furthermore, one should consistently check for working links and navigational buttons. Adding a built-in search function to the LMS for ease of navigation around content and menus may be viable as well.
Comparison
The experience of both constructing and LMS course and being a user of one is eye-opening to the complexity of the process of designing such resources. As a developer of a course, one attempts to create a comprehensive course which is easy and effective to use for learning. However, as a first-hand user, one begins to notice the smallest details which impact the experience. In turn, one begins to see errors in the version personally developed. It offers perspective to the best approaches in improving LMS design and capabilities.
When going back to the LMS, it is important to consider its primary purpose of education for school-aged children. Therefore, it should be engaging, intuitive, and provide an enhanced learning experience. The one thing that should be changed is the de-cluttering of content to position it in a manner which offers information in a simplistic manner, adding external resources and supporting materials such as videos or gamified objectives to the course. The content should be easily relatable to the main curriculum so that digital learning may serve as a complementary tool to the learning process (Machajewski, Steffen, Romero Fuerte, & Rivera, 2018).
Furthermore, it may be helpful to introduce a brief tutorial and user support resources at the beginning of the course to ensure that students are familiar with the navigation as some aspects of the LMS may be unchangeable since it is a third-party platform.
Conclusion
Designing and uploading content into an LMS is a complex task which requires a consideration of visual, informational, and educational aspects. This activity of uploading material and then being a user in another LMS demonstrated that there are aspects to organization, content distribution, and approach to navigation that should be considered to enhance the eLearning process. LMS content creators should understand the target audience and user experience at the same level as the value of the curriculum since the system is only effective if the student is fully engaged and can actively navigate it.
References
Dailey-Herbert, A. (2018). Taming the beast: Principles to efficiently curate & customize online learning resources. Journal of Educators Online, 15(3), 45-64. Web.
Machajewski, S., Steffen, A., Romero Fuerte, E., & Rivera, E. (2018). Patterns in faculty learning management system use. TechTrends, 1-7. Web.
Semingson, P., Crosslin, M., & Dellinger, J. (2015). Microlearning as a tool to engage students in online and blended learning. In D. Rutledge & D. Slykhuis (Eds.), Proceedings of SITE 2015-Society for information technology & teacher education international conference (pp. 474-479). Las Vegas, NV, United States: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).