Learning Management Systems, Authoring Tools and other ways to share your course or course materials

Learning Management Systems

Learning Management Systems are big business for those in the tech industries, but there are significant discrepancies in the quality and useability of these systems.  It also very much depends on the type of learner and learning that is being targeted, as to a choice of  an LMS.

Here are some of the most commonly used LMS's:

Blackboard

Moodle (Moodle is open source, but it has to be provided from a server, which costs money.)

Desire2Learn

e-Front

Claroline  (an open source or free platform that is provided entirely on the web)

Mindflash

Of the platforms listed above, Mindflash is the simplest and probably easiest for trainers to use, but it is also quite basic and would only be suitable for the type of courses that can be delivered and tested using information grabs followed by multiple choice questions.  The others are all more comprehensive and allow for much more interaction, with a large range of tools for content, activities and assessment.

State Training Providers and Registered Training Organisations in WA have free access to the Blackboard LMS provided through Department of Workforce Development and Training.  This is why e-learning at KTI has mainly been via Blackboard.

Formal LMS sites such as Blackboard are very ordered and structured, but difficult to make visually appealing (although it can be done with a few tricks).  Sometimes teachers prefer to create e-learning outside the "mainstream" Blackboard LMS to reach and engage particular groups of learners.

Authoring Tools

Authoring tools are software applications that are designed for people who know nothing about code to design their own web-based, interactive content and activities.  They often use HTML editing tools such as the "what you see is what you get - WYSIWYG.  The WYSIWYG tool that allows the writer to use a word processing interface similar to Word with all the text tools and capacity to insert objects such as images, to create a colourful and attractive web page with links to other areas of content and to activities.

Some authoring tools enable you to convert a PowerPoint presentation to a flash movie or a web-based interactive learning tools.

Here are some links to some open source authoring tools:

Authorpoint  Authorpoint Lite is free and converts PowerPoint presentation to flash

Cast UDL Book Builder  - a site where you can create, publish and read digital books - it is possible to make your own original text books.

CourseLab - a free version is fully functioning SCORM compliant authoring tool to create interactive e-learning content for the web, in an LMS or on a CD.

iSpring Free - a free PowerPoint to Flash converter which converts PowerPoint presentations for an LMS, a CD or on the web. 

Scratch - a creative tool that helps users create interactive stories, animation, music and art, and share them via the web.

Social Networking and other Web 2.0 Tools

The LMS and authoring tools outlined above can be used in conjunction with social networking and a host of web tools out there that can support e-learning.  Or social networking and Web 2.0 tools are perfectly capable of providing the means for you to deliver an entire course, used creatively and wisely.  We will explore these tools in more depth on another page.