Free choice of learning management systems

Abstract

Although multiple studies examine institutional transitions from one learning management system (LMS) to another, or compare system merits, studies examining student's free choice of access on parallel LMSs for the same course are absent from the literature. In order to investigate usage in a free-choice situation, identical content was posted at the same time to two different LMSs in a large enrollment class with a diversity of majors. Two prevalent LMSs were utilized in the study; WebCT, which was in existence at a university-wide level previously, and Moodle, which will become the new university-wide system in the 2012-13 academic year onwards. Although this inquiry revealed that most students chose to use the WebCT system (85% WebCT users, 15% Moodle users; both self-reported and log-verified), the reasons given for WebCT preference pertained largely to habit and that most other courses are using the WebCT LMS. In contrast, the reasons given for using Moodle spoke directly to the attributes of the LMS itself, namely the interface quality and the way it is organized. This study indicates that institutions should look beyond student usage patterns in making LMS choices, and that LMS quality is sometimes, and perhaps unfortunately, overshadowed by student habit and familiarity.

What Makes Learning Management Systems Effective for Learning?

“…It leverages the anytime-and anywhere-accessible characteristics of the web, breaking physical classroom limitations (Walker et al, 2016) to provide such functions as course administration, content management, learner management, and so on. The LMS offers various advantages to learners such as ease-of-access to learning materials (Cavus, 2015;Islam & Azad, 2015), collaborative learning with peers (Islam & Azad, 2015;Porter, 2013), and online instructor feedback (Laflen & Smith, 2017).…”

The University As An Accelerator Of Lifelong Learning Practices (Based On ELT)

“…The problems of e-learning in a foreign language and the need to use integrated approaches to learning a foreign language are reflected in the works by Vasiu and Andone (2014), Baker and Watson (2013), Pinto et al (2016) and Talmage et al (2015). Researches by Wang et al (2018) and Salinas et al (2012) and others focused on the development of the competencies of all participants in the educational process, teachers and students as a condition for the quality of the educational process (Costello, 2014;Gavin, 2013).…”

Less is More! Preliminary Evaluation of Multi-Functional Document-Based Online Learning Environment

“…The study by Coates et al [1] nevertheless reminds that the adoption of a campus-wide LMS can change the character of not only the students' learning experience but also the teachers' experiences of delivering their teaching practices. Moreover, a LMS prescribed from above, to be used in all teaching, or transitions to a new such LMS, have potential to engender complaints from a faculty who has difficulties in adjusting to the change introduced [2]. Generally, reasons underlying resistance to technology have been theorized to originate in the system itself, the users, or the interaction between the system and the users, that is, how well the system suits its purposes (see, [3]).…”