Moodle vs Blackboard
Benoit has to choose an LMS, either Blackboard Learn or Moodle. While Blackboard is the official LMS for the University, he has heard that the helpdesk is difficult to get a hold of and can be slow in responding. He has also heard negative remarks about Blackboard in general. Conversely, Moodle is used by faculty in the English department and they quite like it, but there is no IT support for it and he would be on his own.
How might Benoit choose which platform to use? He should create his own rubric in order to choose the best platform for his Comfort level and, most importantly, the needs of his students. He should also invest at least a couple of hours exploring each of the platforms himself to see if in fact they are as good or as bad as he has heard.
LMS Functionality He should make a list of functionalities that are essential to his course. this list should include the basic items of any LMS, including a section for announcements, posting documents, inputting student marks, an area to submit assignments, communication tools such as email, blogs, groups, student feedback, ePortfolios, etc. How do the two platforms compare In these areas?
Most important question Arguably the most important question Benoit has to ask himself is which platform will provide the best support for his students. While Moodle might be the platform of choice by the other faculty in his department, there is no IT support, and this could make life very difficult for the students. It would also make life difficult for him, because when students run into trouble with Moodle they would no have nowhere else to turn but to him to help solve their problems. This would increase his workload substantially and would be a risk he would have to consider very carefully. Blackboard, on the other hand, has IT Support and he could direct students to them when they have a problem. This way he can focus on the teaching and not the technical issues.
Benoit’s time:
Development of an online asynchronous course takes nearly two to three times the amount of time compared to the preparation time for a face-to-face class (Cavanaugh, 2005). There are many things to consider when developing a synchronous online course. John Orlando (2014) lists ten top rules for developing an online course. This top 10 list is largely based on the concept that regular face-to-face contact is not part of the equation. Therefore, the syllabus and expectations have to be much more explicit, there is a considerable amount of web development time, and interactivity has to be built in to the course to ensure students are collaborating with other students and the teacher on a regular basis. Benoit will also have to carefully select a variety of assessment tools to address the diverse needs and skills of his students. According to a survey conducted by the Chapman Alliance (Pinder, 2011), it takes faculty an average of 184 hours to develop an online course. Working at a pace of 12-14 hours per week on course development, that would take 14 weeks. Working close to 40 hours per week, an instructor might be able to complete the work of preparation in 5-6 weeks.
Cavanaugh,J., (2005). Teaching Online – A Time Comparison. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Volume VIII, Number I. Retrieved from: http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring81/cavanaugh81.htm
Orlando, J., (2014). Top Ten Rules For Developing Your First Online Course. Faculty Focus: Higher Ed Strategies From Magna Publications. Retrieved from: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/top-10-rules-developing-first-online-course/
Pinder, D., (2011). How Long Does It Take To Create an E-Learning Course? E-Learning Uncovered. Retrieved from: http://elearninguncovered.com/2011/05/how-long-does-it-take-to-create-an-e-learning-course/