So I’ve just found out that an LMS is a Learning Management System, an application that assists in the development and delivery of educational programs. I find it interesting to consider that while I have spent time debating the merits of a course in Connect, compared to a course that operates more in WordPress, or through a wiki, I haven’t truly consider the design choices implicit with each different technology. Fortunately, this vague understanding of that which makes up an LMS will be built upon, both independently and collaboratively, as I move through ETEC565A.

This course feels endlessly practical. As my ninth course, I hope it will allow me to crystallize many learnings from the eight courses I have already completed. A more thorough perspective of what I hope to achieve in this course is visible on my Flight Path page.

I am very curious to explore a variety of LMS’s and to determine what makes a good LMS a good one, and in which circumstances that proves to be true. I suppose I can’t really explore and evaluate all the LMS’s in the world. Maybe instead I’ll try to just focus on the Learning Management Systems to which we have ease of access and which can be easily discussed with my current class colleagues: Moodle and Blackboard. I would like to note that my interests extend also to those relevant to my school board, i.e. Desire2Learn and Google Classroom. Despite being a GAFE board, we do not actually have permission to use Google Classroom. I hope that we just don’t have permission yet and that permission might be forthcoming this year. Additionally I am interested in some of the online LMS offerings, including those to which we were directed, EdX Edge and Eliademy, and another that has crossed my radar, Canvas.

So, the grand total (drum roll please) is 7 LMS’s for which I would like to develop some type of understanding. To recap:

Course-related:
1) Moodle
2) Connect

School board-related:
3) Desire2Learn
4) Google Classroom

Cloud-based LMS’s:
5) Eliademy
6) Edx Edge
7) Canvas

As the weeks progress I look forward to sharing what I have learned about the selection, design, and application of learning technologies.