Learning Management System (LMS) is otherwise known as a virtual learning environment where course activities are carried out. The LMS is the contact between the course provider and the participants. It is meeting place which allows freedom for learners to come at their convenient time to perform roles on a course with intentions of learning, sharing knowledge and information etc.The software market and a clear understanding is demanded to make the right choice.
A learning management system (LMS) is application software that allows content management, knowledge sharing, information gathering and redistribution, and opportunities for collaborative activities across educational enterprise. A course management system (CMS) has similar features with LMS but with few variations which however may allow students and tutors to have a common place for learning, exchanges of information and resources having the intentions to fulfill set educational objectives.
When learners enroll on a course regardless of their locations on the globe, the virtual classroom remains the meeting place where learning activities are carried out according to the convenience of time and pace of individual learner.
Pedagogical approach
The virtual learning classroom is designed according to the pedagogical approach for the course but most times most of the LMS and CMS are designed for possibilities for the application of any of the known pedagogical approaches namely (Instructivist, Constructivist and Socio-Constructivist Pedagogical approaches).
Course design, LMS and Requirements
The approach that course designer has in mind dictates the software of choice. In all, the best software may not be suitable if it does not meet the requirements for a particular course. For instance, if instructivist approach is selected the best expected features of the software should allow learner to gain access to the materials as scheduled by the tutor with minimal interaction which in most cases is two-way communication.
The learner may schedule synchronous discussion with the tutor if the software provides for chatting in addition to exchanges of information between him and the tutor by email. A constructivist approach may demand more features for the software designer to include in the LMS.
In this case more features like possibilities for upload of documents, interaction between learners thereby allowing many-to-many communication are few examples. In this case there is an opportunity for collaboration and group activities which many researches attested to as an enhancement to learning. In any of these approaches the learner is the central focus and his roles differ in that in the former he is a recipient of information while in the later is a "creator" and user of information.
The third approach as mentioned above involves more active group learning, participation and activities lessening the roles of the tutor to a "mere" guide and so software designer will have to add features that will allow more interactivity and freedom for learner to choose between alternatives and what to learn, scope of learning, and schedule activities according to convenience which is why this approach is regarded as leaning more towards 3A learning ( Learning Anywhere, Anytime and At learner pace) which is otherwise referred to as learning at convenience, time and pace.
Personal Experiences
I recently participated in an online course organized by the branch of United Nations University named Global Virtual University in Japan (UNU/GVU). The course is an online tutoring course and online course material development otherwise known as Instructional designer course. The course is an example in an international practice in collaborative activities where institutions come together to bear their various expertise on course contents and curriculum design and delivery.
The institutions concerned put together their professional skills in course design and delivery in order to merge high level skills available so as to bring together the best in human attainment. The said course was jointly organized by UNU/GVU and Agder University College and Stord/Haugesund University College Norway. The collaboration between these institutions that are located in an Asian country and another in Northern Europe was made possible by the virtual learning environment (VLE) called Classfronter (www.fronter.com), with the participants from Africa, Europe, Asia and Middle east countries and the "new" orientation on the importance of merging resources from anywhere in order to obtain the best. The meeting place for all involved in this situation is the learning management system (LMS) which provided the opportunity for all involved to meet and share knowledge and information together.
Virtual learning is therefore a description of learning activities that take place in virtual learning environment. To anyone unfamiliar with course delivery in computer supported learning (CSL), virtual learning could mean another concept, principle, theory, or a philosophy in education. We can therefore describe it as a far departure from traditional face-to-face learning as all participants on a course do not need to see one another physically (eye-to-eye) before learning could take place. The provisions of most LMS are to compensate for the differences created by course participants not seeing one another among other things. At the beginning of course in this type of situation each participant is expected to give a short note on himself prior to the commencement of the course. This allows them to have a feel of what each personality is.
