For the LMS selection: Evaluation rubric assignment, I worked with Agnieszka, Tracey, and Samantha. We were tasked with developing an evaluation rubric to decide which LMS would best suit Yukon Education Student Network (YESNet) who want to develop blended secondary courses that are relevant from an Aboriginal perspective. We had to take into consideration the bandwidth and reliability of internet access and possible upcoming extension.
As I did not have any experience working with indigenous communities before, I found the assignment quite challenging. It was really important to understand the restrictions of their traditional territories, needs and cultural perspectives. Agnieszka found and shared a few valuable resources that helped me review and analyse the adoption and use of digital technologies specifics in remote and northern Indigenous communities in Canada and get a perspective on their challenges and possible project success issues.
After getting to know the YESNet needs better, we decided to focus our LMS Evaluation Rubric on accessibility (O’Donnell 2016), readiness (Sharp et al. 2011) and cultural responsiveness (Geenall 2005). Thus, we came up with the following rubric categories: Reliability/Integration/Expansion; Accessibility, Readiness/Support. We included our considerations on cultural responsiveness under several categories. In addition to these categories, we have also added some general categories for LMS evaluation, such as Usability, Tools, Cost, and Blended Program Management.
In addition to considering Indigenous communities specifics, we used Bates (2014) SECTIONS model as a guide for creating LMS evaluation rubric criteria.
This activity made me review various perspectives on LMS selection and consider blended learning particulars. This was a great learning experience as I normally work on designing completely remote courses and use LMS for eLearning only.
While working on the project, we set up a Google document and collaborated there during the project. We met a few times using Skype and Google Hangouts to brainstorm, plan, discuss and organize ideas. We also used email to share useful articles, arrange meetings and review the completed project. I feel our group members were able to use their strength while working on this assignment and develop new perspectives.