From the beginning of this century Norwegian teacher education has been transformed
through national laws. This is supported by investment in ICT-projects supposed to strengthen
student active learning processes. The on-campus-students had problems with understanding the
purpose of collaborating on-line with students they met every day and also with participating in
learning activities not yet used in schools. This paper discusses how a group of students teachers
appreciated on-line learning activities when they were interviewed by their graduation and after
one and three years as teachers in a period when teacher education was in front of the schools’
development.
A learning management system (LMS) is a software application for the administration,
documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of electronic educational technology (also
called e-learning) education courses or training programs. Learning Management System range
from systems for managing training and educational records to software for distributing online or
blended/hybrid college courses over the Internet with features for online collaboration. Colleges,
universities, school districts, and schools use Learning Management System to deliver online
courses and augment on-campus courses. Learning Management System also act to augment the
lessons the teacher is giving in a brick and mortar environment not just replace them. Corporate
training departments use Learning Management System to deliver online training, as well as to
automate record-keeping and employee registration
Over the past 20 years, powerful software for managing complex databases has been
combined with digital frameworks for managing curriculum, training materials, and evaluation
tools. It allows anyone to create, track, manage and distribute learning materials of any kind.
Nearly a ten billion-dollar industry, Learning Management System products and software allow
any organization to develop electronic coursework, deliver it with unprecedented reach and
flexibility, and manage its continued use over time. It has become a powerful tool for consulting
companies that specialize in staffing and training, extension schools, and any corporation looking
to get a better grasp on the continuing education of its workforce. Its impact has been felt mostly
outside of traditional education institutions, though the same technological and market forces are
dramatically changing today’s classroom as well.
The traditional application of an LMS is in educational institutions. Learning
management systems have been used for several years to deliver courseware in schools and
popularize e-learning. In the last few decades, companies have been using learning management
systems to deliver training to internal employees and customers. The technology has become a
powerful tool for consulting companies that specialize in staffing and training, extension schools,
and any corporation looking to get a better grasp on the continuing education of its workforce. Its
impact has been felt mostly outside of traditional education institutions, though the same
technological and market forces are dramatically changing today’s classroom as well. There are
close to 600 varieties of LMS available for purchase today. Each is unique, and possesses a
feature set to meet the needs of a variety of trainers and educators.
Some examples of Learning Management System
Blackboard
Moodle
WebCT
SAP
Docent
Net Dimension
Sum Total
SABA
SAP
Components of Learning Management System
Course Management: Manage the cource, eg; list of cources, registration, credit
information, syllabus, pre-requisites.
Teaching Material
Self Assessment quizzes
Lesson Tools : Authoring for contents and quizzing test
Asynchronous Communication : Email, forum
Synchronous Communication : Chat, Whiteboard, Teleconferencing
Student tools : Homepage, Self test, Bookmarks, Progress tracking
Student Management Tool : Progress tracking, Online grading
Learner Feedback
Advantages of an Learning Management System
Like many information technology innovations from the past few decades, LMS software
is able to add a level of efficiency to companies’ learning systems, with a number of other
benefits emerging as well, such as:
Easily adapting and reusing materials over time.
More choices for creators of curriculum, such as method of delivery, design of materials,
and techniques for evaluation.
Creating economies of scale that make it less costly for organizations to develop and
maintain content for which they used to rely on third parties.
Improvements in professional development and evaluation, allowing companies to get
more value from human resources while empowering individuals with additional tools for selfimprovement.
Disadvantages of Learning Management System
Not everyone learns the same way
Often confused to be a teacher instead of a manager
Training on using LMSs required first
Time required to install necessary hardware, software, course and database.
Need for a LMS Administrator.