EDID651—Online Text Activity

Online Text Activity

Cornwall Regional University: A quest for an LMS

By

Yolande Samuels

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of

EDID 6510- Learning and Knowledge Management Systems

Email:- Yolande.samuels@my.open.uwi.edu

University : University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus

Couse Coordinator : Dr. Laura Gray

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As institutions and organizations seek to meet the growing needs for online and in demand

training they are forced to equip themselves with a learning platform that can help them to make

their dreams a reality. There are currently hundreds of Learning Management Software Solutions

that organizations can choose from to suit their unique organizational needs. The task of selecting

the platform that will meet the expectations of an organization can be a time-consuming and

intimidating experience. Making the wrong decision can be both costly and embarrassing. A third of

organisations are dissatisfied with their current LMS (eLearning Guild 2013), while 21% of

organisations are not using any LMS at all (Towards Maturity 2015).

Cornwall Regional University has a population of 15,00 students and has been given a grant

of $2,000,000 US to develop online programs ,as currently all of their classes are being held face to

face. Applying a Project management approach in helping with the selection on an LMS solution

provides an orderly guide in achieving the goals of the university. Figure 1 shows a flow chart that

highlights steps that may be followed to achieve this goal. There are several sub steps and resources

involved in ensure the completion of the project. A reasonable timeline for the LMS selection and

implementation has to be established as well as a detailed budget.

Analyse Your Define Vet Available Evaluate Select a

Needs Requirements Products Products Product

Figure 1- LMS Selection Process

The following are my top 10 recommendations for resources that need to be taken into

consideration:

1. Detailed Budget- to implement an LMS is a costly venture and as such, care should be taken

to create a detailed estimated budget to ensure all needs are being met.
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2. Project Staff- this will include several teams of individuals. The Core team includes decision

makers such as a Team leader, Project manager, e-Learning Tech Specialist, Training

Administrator and I.T. Architect. Other team members to consider are course authors,

designers, administrators and training managers.

3. Mobile Support- System should enable responsive design for any mobile platform.

4. Content Management Software- Students will need a gateway to the Content that is housed

on the content management system via the organizations website. This host should be able

to support the most current types of content.

5. Vendor Profile / LMS Options- There are many vendors available who provide proprietary or

open source solutions for clients. Ensure that LMS chosen is adaptable and accommodates

integration across the organization.

6. Network and Server Infrastructure- A reliable network will be needed for the server hosting

the LMSs as these features are key hardware components in the storage and retrieval of

data in the LMS.

7. User testing /Training- End users need to be trained on how to use the LMS as without them

the software would be pointless.

8. User Support- there should be a support system I place for end users as they encounter

problems with the LMS.

9. Accessibility and User Interface- All users regardless of their ability should be able to easily

access and manipulate the LMS.

10. Content- Care must be taken in designing content that is compatible with available open

source content that may be made distributed via the LMS.

The involvement and recommendations of all major stakeholders in this project

need to be taken into account as there are sometimes hidden cost attached to the system for

features that no one is ever going to utilize. The resources outlined above are only a few
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recommendations that the university need to take into consideration when making this

momentous decision.
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References

5 Tips for Selecting a Learning Management System (LMS) for Your School. (2017, August 17).

Retrieved from https://knowingtechnologies.com/5-tips-selecting-learning-management-

system-lms-school/

Burns, M. (2017, September 19). Checking Under the Hood: Choosing a Learning Management

System. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/choosing-a-learning-management-

system

Foreman S. (2013, July 29). The Six Proven Steps for Successful LMS Implementation (Part 1 of 2).

Retrieved from https://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1214/the-six-proven-steps-

for-successful-lms-implementation-part-1-of-2

LMS Implementation. (2017, April 25). Retrieved from https://www.betterbuys.com/lms/learning-

management-system-implementation/

What's Next for the LMS? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://er.educause.edu/articles/2015/6/whats-

next-for-the-lms
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References