Experience with Blackboard, Vista, and WebCT:
My first experience with WebCT was through Distance Education at Simon Fraser University. I don’t remember much about the experience except that assignments were dropped off into the Assignment Box when it was due. There were usually 2 to 4 assignments per course. Perhaps there were some discussions online, but they are now a blur.
However, the online learning experience with MET is quite different. The modules are interactive and engaging. Conversations and group work have made it easier to meet and get to know peers. Although face-to-face time is limited, the atmosphere is a lot warmer than previous distance education courses. This is probably due to the newer technologies that involve audio and video interactions (synchronous and asynchronous), in addition to text based discussions. The courses I enjoyed the most are the ones that utilizes most of the functions in Blackboard: Discussion Board, Chat, Mail, Announcements, Learning Modules, Assignments, etc. When courses are well designed with specific instructions for students to follow, learning online can be effective and enjoyable.
Downfall with LMS:
In some courses, the challenge with using LMS such as Vista to deliver the course is that it has limitations. To compensate for these limitations, professors and colleagues will provide links to articles and websites found outside the LMS and bring them into the discussions. This is not much of a problem. However, the need to monitor discussions (due to group presentations or experimentation with new media) on other sites can bring much confusion and frustration. It is hard enough to keep up with Vista and the never-ending posts-to-be-read, but to also keep updated on a second site…. this calls for good time management skills!
Experience with Moodle:
Moodle offers many functions that are easy to use. It could be set up to deliver an entire course with its many functions. Previous experience with Moodle was a group project in another course. It was overwhelming to learn to use Moodle in a short period of time. Our group decided to put together a Grade 6/7 class – with each member responsible for creating a unit for different subjects. It was a lot of fun pooling together ideas. I especially liked the webquests, virtual museums, games, and other activities that we included in our “classroom”. I am looking forward in trying out more functions and possibly a warmer layout of my “classroom” this time in ETEC 565. Stay tuned!