Understanding the Usability of Course Management Systems (CMS) in Developing Countries

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 27-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakibul Hoque ◽  
Mahfuz Ashraf ◽  
Mohammad Afshar Ali ◽  
Rashadul Hasan
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Course Management System ◽  
Educational Technologies ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Course Management Systems ◽  
Course Management ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Office Software

Course Management System (CMS) is now probably the most used educational technologies in higher education, behind only the Internet and common office software. It can facilitate posting content, participating in discussions, maintaining a grade book, tracking participation and managing learning activities in an online environment for instructors and learners. But question arises to what extent these systems are successful in developing countries like Bangladesh. Unfortunately there are very few reports and publication that have tried to focus on above issues. In this study, an evaluation and analysis of CMS in developing countries like Bangladesh was carried out to assess the success of the system by using “ITPOSMO' model. The study found that CMS is partially failing in higher educational institutions in Bangladesh.

Building a Digital Repository for Accreditation through Courseware

2014 ◽  
pp. 150-163
Author(s):  
Janice M. Krueger
Keyword(s):  
Management System ◽  
Graduate Program ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Content Management ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Course Management System ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Course Management Systems ◽  
Course Management ◽  
Digital Repository

This chapter highlights how a graduate program in library science structured a university’s course management system to address the data gathering and document demands of accreditation. While examples in the literature revealed creative uses of content and course management systems, none specifically demonstrated ways to build a digital repository of accreditation materials. Design features of the course management system were found similar to content management systems but with distinct advantages. While both types of programs could address document storage without having to create separate Websites and to acquire dedicated Web servers, the course management system offers a way to communicate with colleagues, presents a mechanism to integrate specialized surveys within selected courses, and provides a way to compile and to save results from any survey or assessment technique. Faculty note ongoing challenges stemming from the use of a course management system but acknowledge viable solutions.

scholarly journals Facebook Goes to College; Recent Research on Educational Uses of Social Networks

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Erdmann
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Course Management Systems ◽  
Course Management ◽  
The Social ◽  
Exchange Information ◽  
Academic Content

The number of courses offered partially or entirely online continues to grow, offering students many different ways to access academic content.  Educational institutions largely use course management systems to deliver academic content, collect assignments and conduct discussions.  Traditional CMS systems, however, are often underutilized and almost always require login protocols tied to students’ institutional email accounts.   The ubiquity of the social networking site Facebook, demonstrates that students are willing to use online environments to exchange information and, naturally, many academics have been eager to use the networking site in their classes.  The following essay examines some of these attempts in order to gain a clearer picture of some of the advantages and pitfalls of using Facebook as a CMS.

Putting Course Management Systems Behind Us

2011 ◽  
pp. 282-295
Author(s):  
Robby Robson
Keyword(s):  
Universal Access ◽  
Personal History ◽  
Course Management System ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Course Management Systems ◽  
Course Management ◽  
Technology Infrastructure ◽  
Service Oriented Architectures ◽  
Information Technology Infrastructure ◽  
Service Oriented

The course management systems developed in the mid-to-late 90s helped get instructors online and partially automated course administration services in ways that saved time and effort. But the course administration function is not central to the deeper problems of providing more universal access to learning and making learning more effective. Furthermore, service-oriented architectures are starting to dominate the information technology infrastructure landscape. This chapter discusses the author’s personal history with developing a course management system and speculates how the functionality needed to support online learning is being taken apart and might be put back together.

The Interplay of Teaching Conceptions and Course Management System Design

2011 ◽  
pp. 57-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xornam S. Apedoe
Keyword(s):  
System Design ◽  
Management System ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Course Management System ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Course Management Systems ◽  
Course Management ◽  
Conceptions Of Teaching ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Teaching Conceptions

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the relationship between instructors’ conceptions of teaching and the design and use of course management systems in instruction. Understanding this relationship helps us to understand why instructors are using course management systems in the ways they do. Subsequently, we can use our understanding to help define what future generations of course management systems look like and how we as instructors might use them.

Classroom Communication on a Different Blackboard

2005 ◽  
pp. 425-429
Author(s):  
Jennifer Paige Nightingale
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Course Management Systems ◽  
Classroom Communication ◽  
Student Needs ◽  
Common Goal ◽  
Adjunct Instructors ◽  
Technological Community

Employing technology that students find enticing and will prepare them well for the future, may be easier than preparing the teachers who will integrate this technology into learning activities. Competition among educational institutions for students is increasing exponentially, which requires a greater sensitivity to student needs (Heckman & Guskey, 1998). Course management systems (CMSs) can build a framework for using technology as a technique of providing this responsiveness to students, predominantly in the form of communication. The aim is to ultimately create an environment conducive to teaching and learning via a technological community where students, faculty, adjunct instructors, staff, and administration can work together to achieve a common goal—produce quality graduates.

Choosing the Right Course Management System for Distance Education Courses

2013 ◽  
pp. 214-238
Author(s):  
Zafer Unal ◽  
Aslihan Unal
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Management System ◽  
Detailed Comparison ◽  
Course Management System ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Course Management Systems ◽  
Course Management ◽  
The Right ◽  
Education Courses

In the current market space there are many commercially available Course Management Systems (CMS) from which to choose, such as BlackBoard and Desire2Learn. The open source community has also been active in creating alternative course management system choices that are free of licensing costs (Moodle, Sakai). Institutions now have the choice between these competing CMSs, and it is not enough to just pick a package based on its price or feature list. Institutions considering implementing a CMS must carefully evaluate it before putting it to use with a student population. A trial was undertaken to consider whether Moodle warranted a more formal consideration as an alternative to the institution’s current CMS (BlackBoard) at a southeastern university. This report documents a detailed comparison of BlackBoard and Moodle CMSs based on students’ experiences that used both systems during the same course and investigates if Moodle warrants consideration as an alternative to the institution’s current course management system.

scholarly journals Pre-service Teachers First Time Experiences With A New Course Management System

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Zafer Unal ◽  
Aslihan Unal
Keyword(s):  
Educational Technology ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Management System ◽  
Course Management System ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Course Management Systems ◽  
Pilot Test ◽  
Course Management ◽  
End User ◽  
First Time

From a students perspective, course management systems are a step above a classroom website. Information sharing is no longer static; these systems utilize tools that allow information to be passed in many directions and in a number of different ways. They have the most important task - addressing the needs of the ultimate end user, the learner. This study investigated 71 pre-service teachers first time experiences and satisfaction from a pilot test of a new course management system (Moodle) implemented during an online educational technology course.

Development of a New University-Wide Course Management System

2011 ◽  
pp. 55-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Jafari
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Management System ◽  
Course Management System ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Course Management Systems ◽  
Course Management ◽  
Student Information ◽  
The University ◽  
Selection Of

Distance learning is no longer a conceptual discussion, a buzzword, or a show-and-tell demonstration in a computer trade show. It is a multi-billion-dollar business moving its way up to the top of universities’ lists of priorities. University and college administrators are now convinced that the Web and the Internet can and will change their traditional teaching practices into a semi-virtual and virtual operation. This is the arrival of a new paradigm where students and instructors make fewer trips to campuses to receive or deliver lectures. A variety of computer tools and environments have been commercially developed and are being used to deliver distance learning content. Course management systems or course authoring tools are among the names used to refer to such software environments. Today there is a large selection of course management software packages on the market. This has created much debate over what brand of course management system a university should choose. Is WebCT better than Topclass? How does Domino Lotus compare to WebCT and BlackBoard? Many institutions have tried to compare and contrast different course management systems in order to make a decision. While some institutions have elected to use one or more off-the-shelf course management systems, others have developed their own software. The selection or development of the “right” course management system for an educational institution is probably one of the most difficult decisions that information technology administrators have to make. It is not like deciding on the selection of Netscape versus Internet Explorer or WordPerfect versus Microsoft Word. It is substantially more complicated due to the fact that a course management environment should function as an enterprise system, able to link to or include many services and resources already in place in the university. This includes student registration, course offering catalogs, computing account IDs, personal Web servers, student information systems, and library resources, as well as file servers. Failure to link with these resources will create an expensive, difficult-to-use, and resource-intensive course management environment. A well-designed course management system should include or share resources with the existing services. Many information technology administrators may not yet understand the importance of a well-designed course management system, and often they have deployed systems without understanding the conceptual framework behind them, or defining the functional and technical requirements of the university.

scholarly journals Cant We All Use An Angel?

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard Presby
Keyword(s):  
Online Courses ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Course Management Systems ◽  
Instructional Designers ◽  
Course Management ◽  
Web Based ◽  
The Face ◽  
Educational Course

Educational institutions are looking for ways to reach students in a better manner, in the face of increased competition, shifting demographics and tighter budgets. Offering online courses is one of the ways this problem has been approached. As the internet has become integral to our everyday lives, web-based educational course management systems have become more common and more sophisticated.  Blackboard, Webct, and ANGEL are three popular ones. The focal point of them is to aid instructors develop important learning experiences and improve learning outcomes They help to promote communication among and between students, support curriculum, assessments and surveys, facilitate team learning and group effort and feedback . This paper will help instructors and instructional designers who are considering course management systems. Results of the study show how one system provides users with superior results.

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