There are two big categories of e-learning technologies that affect your first decision of how to deliver your learning programme: Learning Management Systems (LMSs), also called Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), and toolkits / individual tools. How you proceed with your learning design and delivery will need to take into account which direction you want to go. The main factors involved in this choice are:
- Your approach to learning in the circumstances at hand (philosophy): what kind of learning experience do you want your learners to have?
- Your team’s technical expertise (implementation and support): can you handle technical development, problem-solving and coding, or do you need an “out of the box” solution with external support?
- Budget: What can you afford in terms of both hard cash and human resource?
Learning Management Systems (LMSs)
LMSs are self-contained environments that sit behind an authentication system (login/password) with a range of tools and features built into a single primary interface. Some LMSs are also extensible, in that you can develop or source add-ons that sit within the system and provide additional functions or features. LMSs have the benefit of being a “one-stop shop” and are usually rich with features for running courses and keeping records and data.
The LMS is still the usual choice for institutions with large formal programmes and learners who need to track progress over multiple courses or modules. The LMS is often seen as the secure choice for storing data (whether or not this is really true depends on the system, the IT behind it and the way it has been implemented). Most universities and schools run LMSs . The major disadvantage is that unless you want to deliver the shape of learning that the LMS is specifically designed for, it may be overkill and a poor fit. There are three directions you can go with an LMS, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:
Proprietary
The safest LMS choice is to buy in a proprietary, supported system, such as Blackboard, one of the front runners in the e-learning solutions market. Blackboard has the full range of typical courseware tools, powerful data recording, good security and full support. Blackboard is slick and professional, but it is also expensive and locks you into a particular vision of what online learning is like.
Open source
“Open source” refers to systems or software in which all the code is made freely available to use and modify by anyone who wants it. The front runner of open source LMSs is Moodle, which can be implemented and configured with basic technical know-how. Moodle is continually redeveloped and extended in the classic “crowd-sourced” model of open source development – by the users themselves, who modify the code and build extensions to their own needs and then make their code available to other users. Some developers market their extensions (also called “plug-ins”), but most are free. There are also companies that now specialise in implementing and supporting Moodle on a commercial basis, which can provide a good middle ground between proprietary and in-house development: fairly safe and reliable at a relatively reasonable cost.
Moodle is widely used and admirable for its aims, but because of its organic development (e.g., without premeditated UX design), it is not the most seamless, intuitive or attractive user experience. Out of the box, Moodle is, frankly, ugly and confusing to use. It also has a rigid structure that really fits well only with courses featuring a linear progression of learning.
In-house development
If you are rich with technical staff (if not actual budget) and interested in shaping an environment from the ground up exactly to your own liking, there is always the alternative to develop a system from scratch. This was the route that many universities went in the early days of online learning, frequently reinventing the wheel and producing ugly but serviceable systems. As the web became more complex with more and more things that could be done online, most of these systems were slow and labour-intensive to develop, “geeky” to use and quickly became obsolete. Sites like Moodle began to win out, as they provide a solid foundation on which to build. Except for rare occasions, and unless you want something you can use and also market forward, in-house development is no longer a sensible option for most organisations.
Smörgåsbord approach
The “smörgåsbord” approach involves abandoning the idea of a single, all-encompassing system for containing and delivering learning. Instead, you can look across the internet to find tools and features to support learning and use a combination that fit your needs. You can even build a few yourself. This is a good approach when budgets are tight, courses are “stand alone” and the approach to learning is more informal. However, it requires good practical knowledge and confidence, and above all, good learning design.
Toolkit / LMS Light
This solution may not contain all the tracking and security features that a full-scale LMS offers, but it provides a number of tools (often extensible) that work together within the system. There are proprietary systems available to purchase, usually on a license basis (similar terms to proprietary LMSs).
Content Management Systems (CMSs) are websites designed for site owners and managers to create content and update sites easily and without endangering the structural or design elements of the site, and these can offer a light approach to collecting tools for learning within a single authenticated system. The benefit is that many are free or low cost, such as Concrete5, and may fit those only needing downloads, calendars, forums, videos and similar available to learners. The disadvantages are that they may not offer enough learning tools and probably won’t be able to track learning or record data, but some are open source and allow for development of extensions.
A recent development that I would class here with the LMS light is the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), such as Coursera and FutureLearn. In its “pure” incarnation, the MOOC is designed to allow thousands of learners to work through a course together, usually free of charge. MOOCs are authenticated websites with the primary learning tools being videos, text, forums and quizzes. The drawback of the MOOC is the chaotic interactions between participants in forums and the lack of input from course tutors. However, both of these problems would be alleviated by running MOOC style courses on a smaller scale as an in-house learning programme: the tools and features could be adopted without the “massive” and “open” elements. There is not yet a wide range of platforms available, but there are some early experiments and it’s only a matter of time.
Pick ‘n’ mix
The Pick ‘n’ mix approach involves choosing particular existing apps and tools from across the internet and combining them into your own toolkit, usually through a portal-style website. It makes use of developments in social networking, multimedia-sharing and other popular apps and sites that many learners will use in their daily life. This approach requires a learning designer that can function like the conductor of an orchestra, but it can have real benefits for learners who already know and use the technologies. This kind of learning looks fresh and fits into modern life. The drawbacks are the difficulty in keeping all the strands together in such an erratic environment and in making sure that learners work through the content and activities in a way that fits your objectives. The “herding cats” analogy comes to mind. Planning, design, clarity of purpose and deft facilitation are vital. This direction could be ideal for informal or supplementary learning, and for CPD that fits in and around work.
Tools for engagement
There are many different web-based tools than can be employed for learning purposes – the limit is really the creativity and innovative thinking of the learning designers. However, the most common tools and features are (in no particular order and with overlap between some):
| forum | video | screencast | tweet |
| podcast | text | document | image |
| newsfeed | tutorial | blogs | commenting |
| wikis | webcam | screen sharing | filesharing |
| online whiteboard | poll | survey | live chat |
| mindmap | mapping | GPS | journal |
| shared documents | calendar / organiser | webinar / virtual classroom | assignment upload |
| likes / thumbs up or down | instant messaging | tutor commenting | quiz / assessment |
| presentation / slides |
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