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What is L.M.S?
What is L.M.S?
LMS stands for learning management system which is a tool or software used to plan, execute, track, deliver and automate learning processes. It provides a framework for managing all aspects of learning, including a repository for educational and training materials, courses, programs and quizzes.
Learning Management Software Deployment Options
Learning Management Software Deployment Options
There are only two deployment option an L.M.S has namely:
On-premise or self-hosted deployment. In a self-hosted approach, the school buys the license for commercial LMS, downloads the software, and installs it on the institution’s hardware. This option has its advantages. For example, the system is guaranteed by many, configurable layers of security, plus it offers a great level of customization and control. On the flip side, users can only access the system onsite or via controlled means such as a virtual private network (VPN). Besides, it requires the technical know-how of IT staff to handle the deployment and it can involve huge upfront costs.
Cloud-based deployment. This approach follows a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, which means the school does not have to download the product. Instead, the vendor hosts the solution on the cloud and is responsible for maintaining the system, as well as handling all technical upgrades or updates. Among the benefits of opting for a cloud-based LMS solution are its ability to provide anywhere, anytime accessibility, its convenience due to the fully-managed nature of the deployment and its cost-efficiency, thanks to the subscription pricing model. On the downside, the software is overly dependent on internet connection and it requires a high level of security to avert the looming risk of data breaches.
Features of a Learning Management System-
Features of a Learning Management System-
- Course Management
you can upload the existing courses, exams, images, videos, and even link learners to other web resources hosted on the school’s website. If you are getting started, you can leverage the built-in course builder to create course content from scratch. You might also be able to leverage some timeline maker tools to create engaging visuals for your courses. The best of it all is that content can be tagged by subject, school year, time created, and more, thereby significantly cutting down on time spent getting organized.
- User and Group Management
With the user management feature, it is a breeze to organize students into groups based on location, training type, year of study, and other criteria. This way, you can easily assign courses and assessments that are customized for each group. Advanced LMS solutions support incredible functionalities, such as bulk invites and learner self-registration. Most LMSs provide the tools necessary to integrate with existing information systems in order to import and synchronize the list of existing users. Other than these features, learning management systems can send timely notifications for completed courses, due courses, and the expiration of certificates.
- Reporting and Analytics
The reporting and analytics module is a central hub designed to offer comprehensive details about everything that happens within the LMS. This feature is a student grade book and the teacher’s report rolled into one. You can view group or individual student reports to discover where the areas for improvement lie. Moreover, the reports provide insightful data on which students have completed particular courses and those that have not. Learning management system evaluation function allows you to assess the learning process itself. For example, it provides reports that shed critical light on online courses and the examination. With the vital details at your fingertips, you can fine-tune your courses and exams to make them more valid, accurate, and valuable.
- Testing and Assessment
Outcome-based learning—a model that is so popular in many types of e learning and online learning—espouses regular testing and assessment. For this reason, reliable testing and assessment options are indispensable LMS features. Regardless of the size of the online class, the testing and assessment tools make it easy to evaluate students’ proficiency in a particular skill or knowledge. They enable you to administer online, timed, scored, private, and formative tests to measure student progress against academic goals.
- Discussion and Collaboration
The social feature fosters better collaboration, allowing students to share knowledge. It helps students to hone high-level thinking skills while boosting their confidence. Besides, online discussion communities provide an effective platform for joint problem-solving and real-time discussions. They enable learners to fully develop solid conceptual frameworks, by visualizing another person’s framework.
E.PORTFOLIO
E.PORTFOLIO
1. Introduction
1. Introduction
The learning theory behind e.Portfolios
The learning theory behind e.Portfolios
According to Basken (2008), e.Portfolios “are a way to generate learning as well as document learning" (Basken, 2008). Both generating learning and documenting or recording learning are important, but the process of generating learning sometimes gets overlooked. ePortfolios generate learning because they provide an opportunity and virtual space for students to critically assess their academic work, to reflect on that work, and make connections among different courses, assignments, and other activities, such as work experience, extracurricular pursuits, volunteering opportunities, and more. ePortfolios are effective learning tools because they support students’ own knowledge construction, make otherwise invisible aspects of the learning process visible, and place agency in the hands of students, which fosters learners’ motivation.
2. What is an e-Portfolio?
2. What is an e-Portfolio?
An ePortfolio is a collection of work (evidence) in an electronic format that showcases learning over time. When you think about your ePortfolio and the types of evidence that it contains, it is important to think carefully about its purpose and intended audience.
An ePortfolio is a collection of work (evidence) in an electronic format that showcases learning over time. When you think about your ePortfolio and the types of evidence that it contains, it is important to think carefully about its purpose and intended audience.
An ePortfolio may contain all or some of the following:
Files of various formats (text, pictures, video, etc.)
Evidence related to courses taken, programs of study, etc.
Writing samples (which might include several drafts to show development and improvement)
Projects prepared for class or extracurricular activities
Evidence of creativity and performance
Evidence of extracurricular or co-curricular activities, including examples of leadership
Evaluations, analysis and recommendations
3. Types of e-Portfolio
3. Types of e-Portfolio
Showcase/Professional ePortfolios — These ePortfolios are primarily a way to demonstrate (showcase) the highlights of a student’s academic career. Great examples of showcase ePortfolios on Clemson’s campus come from Health Sciences, Architecture and
Learning ePortfolios — These portfolios are typically created by a student as part of a course as a way to demonstrate learning and the learning process. These portfolios are often shared with other students to elicit peer feedback. Learning portfolios support the idea of formative feedback as an essential part of the learning process.
Assessment/General Education ePortfolios — At Clemson the use of portfolios played a substantive role in the assessment of our general education competencies. Using both formative and summative assessments feedback was provided to colleges, departments and instructors on the quality of evidence students used in their portfolios to demonstrate our general education competencies.
4. Components of a successful e-portfolio
4. Components of a successful e-portfolio
Components of a successful e-portfolio
Landing page
A page that viewers will come to when they first enter your e-portfolio. Something basic, with a greeting, nothing in depth, just enough to introduce yourself
Bio/About Me
Your biography or about me page should explain who you are as a person, what you are interested in, and who you are hoping to become.
Description for each experience
For each experience that you wish to showcase, you must discuss what you did.
Media
Your e-portfolio should include plenty of media. This can include anything from: images, videos, songs you have written, presentations, GIFs, Vines. Anything that helps to bring life to the experience that you are explaining should be included.
Reflections for each experience
For each experience that you wish to showcase, you must include reflections on them. Present your reader with evidence that you can think critically about a situation and clearly communicate what you have learned.
Contact Page
A short contact me page for people to send you an email, or call/text you if they choose. This is particularly necessary for a Showcase e-portfolio. This can also be a space for you to link your other social media, such as your LinkedIn profile to your e-portfolio.
Attribution:
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
1. UDL terminologies
1. UDL terminologies
Universal Design for Learning (UDL): The overarching concept that emphasizes designing educational materials and environments to be accessible and effective for all students, regardless of their individual learning differences and need
Accessibility: Ensuring that all learning materials, tools, and environments are accessible to individuals with disabilities. This includes considerations for physical access and digital access (e.g., web accessibility standards).
Inclusive Education: A broader educational philosophy that aims to include all students, including those with disabilities, in regular education settings. UDL is a key component of inclusive education.
Assistive Technology: Tools, devices, or software designed to assist individuals with disabilities in accessing and interacting with educational materials. Examples include screen readers, speech recognition software, and tactile graphics.
Differentiation: Tailoring instruction to meet the diverse needs of students in the classroom. UDL is a form of differentiation that provides flexibility in how content is presented and how students can express their understanding.
Accommodations: Specific adjustments or supports provided to students with disabilities to help them access and succeed in the curriculum. These accommodations may include extended time on tests, additional resources, or modified assignments.
Barrier-Free Learning: The goal of creating learning environments that eliminate barriers to learning for all students, regardless of their abilities or differences.
Curriculum Design: The process of planning and organizing the content and activities for a course or educational program, with a focus on making it accessible and engaging for all learners.
Flexible Assessment: Assessment methods and tools that allow for variations in how students demonstrate their understanding and skills. This aligns with the principle of multiple means of expression.
Scaffolding: Providing temporary support or guidance to help students achieve a learning goal. Scaffolding can be adjusted based on individual needs and can promote independent learning.
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): The range of tasks and concepts that a student can learn with the support of a teacher or peers. UDL aims to identify and support each student's ZPD.
Professional Development: Training and ongoing learning for educators to develop their understanding and implementation of UDL principles and practices.
1.1. History of UDL
Over a billion people globally have a disability and they can often face barriers when visiting online learning environments. 10% of the population have learning disabilities and 15% have dyslexia. In the past, education excluded and segregated populations. Later, that led to attempts to rehabilitate and accommodate for differences. Now in part through advances in technological ubiquity and accessibility tools, universal design is bridging the gap for populations.
However, it still relies on the authors and producers of content to practice the principles of Universal Design for Learning in their online courses
2. The UDL principles
2. The UDL principles
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is based on a set of principles that guide the design of educational materials, activities, and environments to be inclusive and accessible for all learners. These principles aim to address the variability of learners and promote equitable opportunities for everyone to succeed. There are three core principles of UDL:
Multiple Means of Representation: This principle focuses on providing information and content in various ways to accommodate the diverse needs and preferences of learners. It recognizes that individuals may have different learning styles, sensory modalities, and prior knowledge. To address this principle, educators should:
Offer content in multiple formats, such as text, images, videos, audio, and hands-on experiences.
Use diverse teaching materials and methods to present information.
Provide clear and consistent instructions and expectations.
Offer different ways for learners to access and perceive information.
Multiple Means of Engagement: The second principle emphasizes creating multiple pathways for students to engage with the learning material and become motivated and interested in their studies. To implement this principle, educators should:
Foster learner engagement by providing options for choice and autonomy in learning.
Set meaningful and relevant learning goals that connect with students' interests and aspirations.
Offer opportunities for collaboration and interaction with peers.
Use a variety of strategies to enhance motivation, including gamification, real-world applications, and problem-solving activities.
Multiple Means of Expression: This principle focuses on allowing students to demonstrate their understanding and knowledge in various ways, recognizing that learners may have different strengths and preferences for communication and expression. To adhere to this principle, educators should:
Provide options for students to express themselves through writing, speaking, visual representation, or other means.
Offer flexibility in assessments, allowing students to choose from different formats or approaches.
Encourage self-assessment and reflection to help learners monitor their progress and identify areas for improvement.
Provide constructive feedback and opportunities for revision and refinement.
3. Accessibility and Inclusion
3. Accessibility and Inclusion
What is disability?
A physical or mental impairment that significantly restricts at least one main life activity qualifies as a disability. This definition, though, falls short of providing a comprehensive picture of impairment. It's critical to acknowledge the variety of disabilities. A person might be born with a disability or develop one at any time in their life. Disabilities can be apparent or invisible. When thinking about a disability, many people immediately picture a wheelchair, but there are actually a wide variety of disabilities besides those that affect mobility. When we discuss disabilities, it's important to keep in mind that this term encompasses a wide range of conditions, including but not limited to mental health issues, chronic illnesses, intellectual challenges, and hearing and vision impairments (Ladau, 2023).
Types Of Disabilities
Physical disabilities. These may include disorders that affect the muscles, bones, or nerves as well as other types of paralysis.
Hearing disabilities. Aside from deafness and hearing loss, some persons can have hypersensitivity to sound or have decreased sensitivity to a particular frequency of sound.
Visual disabilities. Ten percent of people with vision problems are completely blind. additional visual impairments include partial vision loss, blurry vision, and reduced field of vision. Color vision deficiencies concern up to 4.5% of the world population.
Impairments of the Intellect. The brain is impacted by genetics, illness, starvation, and/or accidents, which limits cognitive abilities. A type of intellectual disability is down syndrome.
Mental Illness Limitations. All mental health conditions should not be regarded as disabilities unless they significantly impair daily functioning. Depression, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders are all mental health conditions.
Learning disabilities. People with learning disabilities may have specific impairments that hinder their capacity to learn, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dysgraphia, speech disorders, and/or difficulty understanding nonverbal cues.
Web Accessibility
Web Accessibility
In order to be usable by everyone, including those with disabilities, websites, tools, and technologies must be developed and designed with accessibility in mind.
Web accessibility is more explicitly concerned with ensuring that everyone can perceive, comprehend, navigate, and engage with the Web.
participate and/or contribute online.
Common Myths About Accessibility
Since few employees are blind or deaf, we don't need accessible learning.
The creators of the course will need to make their own unique collection of accessible materials and educational exercises.
Learning that is accessible must be condensed and non-interactive.
The cost of accessible education is high.
Elements of Accessibility
1 - Well-crafted content
The resource's content should be presented in an acceptable format (such as plain text rather than an image of text), structure (by defining the headers and subheadings), and layout (by using a suitable contrast and, if feasible, responsive design).
2- More integrated features
Some built-in features can aid students in accessing content even though they aren't always used by users. For instance, films with closed captions, text that can be resized, or image explanations in the alt-text field.
3- Support for third-party software and equipment
Content and navigation should work with auxiliary programs and/or gadgets like braille refreshable displays, keyboards, and joysticks.
4. Inclusivity resource development as demonstrated as per the VARK model
4. Inclusivity resource development as demonstrated as per the VARK model
Over the years, numerous models of learning styles have been created. The VARK model, one of the most well-known models, was created by Neil Fleming.
The four main learning styles identified by the VARK model are visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic.
Diagrams, charts, and movies are among the visual learning tools that visual learners prefer to use. Those that learn best orally prefer to learn from lectures, conversations, and podcasts. Reading and writing students favor learning through text-based resources including books, articles, and written tasks. Kinesthetic learners favor doing hands-on projects and activities to learn, such as experiments (Kathuria, 2023).
Teachers can employ a range of teaching strategies and techniques to accommodate various learning styles in the classroom. Key concepts and ideas can be illustrated using;
- visual aids like diagrams, charts, and movies for those who learn best visually.
-For auditory learners, information can be presented orally through lectures, dialogues, and podcasts.
-Text-based items like books, articles, and written tasks can be utilized to reinforce important ideas for students who are learning to read and write.
-Hands-on exercises and experiments can be used to give kinesthetic learners a more engaging educational experience.
Universal Design and Inclusive Design
While inclusive design helps us to think more precisely about the needs of learners with disabilities, we might potentially build complementary solutions or provide services to these learners, whereas universal design focuses on developing unique solutions that satisfy the needs of all learners.
Disability-affected individuals must be involved in the product's creation in accordance with inclusive design principles. Asking registered learners about their personal preferences and requirements can help you tailor your design to the unique demands of your target group when creating and/or presenting a session.
Both inclusive design and universal design attempt to create solutions that will benefit a wide range of learners' abilities and preferences, therefore there are significant parallels between the two methodologies.
While inclusive design concentrates on the requirements of individuals in order to create solutions that suit those needs, universal design may be more influenced by good design principles that should result in accessibility.
Training Needs = Desired Capability – Current Capability of the Participants
What is Training Need Assessment
What is Training Need Assessment
“Training Needs Assessment” (TNA) is the method of determining if a training need exists and, if it does, what training is required to fill the gap. TNA seeks to identify accurately the levels of the present situation in the target surveys, interview, observation, secondary data and/or workshop. The gap between the present status and desired status may indicate problems that in turn can be translated into a training need.
Training can reduce, if not eliminate, the gap, by equipping the participants with knowledge and skills and by encouraging them to build and enhance their capabilities. The data on the present status are vital to the evaluation or impact survey in the latter part of the training cycle. These shall serve as the baseline data. The following are some techniques for acquiring such data. These may be applied independently or in combination.
Why do we need training?
Why do we need training?
Training may be needed when there is a gap between the desired performance, and the current performance, and the reason for that gap is lack of skill or knowledge.
The purpose of TNA is to answer some familiar questions:
why, who, how, what, and when.
The following are descriptions of the questions and what analysis can be done to answer them.
Why do we need a Training Needs Assessment?
Why do we need a Training Needs Assessment?
TNA aims at the following situations.
Solving a current problem
Avoiding a past or current problem
Creating or taking advantage of a future opportunity
Providing learning, development or growth
Apply concepts in flexible and blended Learning (2).pdf3_TNA_01.pdfPage updated
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