Before I could make a definite decision between both LMS, I would have a couple of questions to ask Benoit and his head of department.
Questions and concerns
As a teacher, I firmly believe that pedagogy and student learning should always come first which are primary criteria for evaluating technology use in education (Nel, Dreyer & Carstens, 2010). Therefore, my first question would be for Benoit: What teaching and learning strategies will be put forward in the course? The answer to this question would help me evaluate the potential of both platforms. If socio-constructivist strategies are to be used, the need for an LMS that would allow synchronous and asynchronous communications would certainly be beneficial. Collaboration tools like wikis and blogs would also be important. Would one platform offer more flexibility than the other for a wider variety of teaching strategies? (Coates, James & Baldwin, 2005: 27)
My second concern is time. As I have developed online courses in the past (both design and content), I know that it can be very time consuming. Therefore, it would be best to choose an LMS that Benoit could be most efficient with and have support along the way. Solely based on this criteria, I would have to say that Blackboard could be a good option, especially since Benoit is familiar with WebCT (which is similar). The wide IT support offered for Blackboard users will also be most useful and timesaving when comes the time to upload content in the LMS. It would also be important to know, since Blackboard is the University’s official LMS, if templates or guides are available to help Benoit develop the course material. Working with models or templates can significantly contribute in reducing his workload allowing him to focus on the pedagogy rather than the technical aspects of the course. (Coates, James & Baldwin, 2005: 22) Without being able to answer these questions, it is difficult to estimate how much time Benoit will need to develop his course. Based on my experience in the field, I would say that it will most likely take him a whole term to design the course and develop content.
My last concern and question is in regards to ease of use. What LMS will students be more comfortable with? According to Bates (2014) SECTIONS model, students should spend no longer than 20 minutes learning the technology in order to concentrate on learning rather the technical issues related to media and technology. If Blackboard is the official LMS for the University, would students be more familiar with its functionalities then with Moodle’s?
Choosing between both LMS
Before making a choice, Benoit will have to find answers to the questions mentioned above. Then, considering key factors like the teaching strategies he wants to use, the time and IT support that is needed to develop the course and the ease of use of the LMS for both teacher and student, he will be able to make a decision.
References:
Bates, T. (2014). Teaching in a digital age. Retrieved from http://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/
Coates, H., James, R., & Baldwin, G. (2005). A critical examination of the effects of Learning Management Systems on university teaching and learning. Tertiary Education and Management, 11,(1), 19-36. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11233-004-3567-9
Nel, C., Dreyer, C., & Carstens, W. A. M. (2010). Educational technologies: A classification and evaluation. Tydskrif vir letterkunde, 35(4), 238-258. Retrieved from http://www.ajol.info/index.php/tvl/article/download/53794/42346