Course+Management+Systems

= Course Management Systems = Cathryn Roller media type="custom" key="17807216"
 * Description and Uses of Technology**

Course Management Systems are websites that are utilized by schools, libraries, and other institutions to allow distance communication and cultivate the learning experience in the classroom (Simonson, 2007). Course Management Systems go by a variety of names including virtual learning environments, learning-management Systems, e-courseware, e-learning courseware, and managed learning environment (Gibbons, 2005). They commonly include communication tools like discussion boards, online chat, and email. They also have organizational tools like announcement boards, calendars, and a syllabus (Gibbons, 2005). These systems utilize online exams, quizzes, and other grading tools to assess students outside of the classroom (Gibbons, 2005).

Commonly included within the functionality of a CMS are synchronous and asynchronous communication tools, such as discussion board, online chat, and email. Organizational tools, including online calendar and syllabus, announcement board, and digital drop box, assist the instructor in managing the flow of information and content within the class. Through online exams and quizzes, grading tools, and tracking course site use by individual students, the CMS can also help to streamline student assessment. Within the CMS, students and faculty can share URLs and digital documents, including assigned reserve reading materials.They are useful tools in the classroom that allow for students to see their grades, assignments, and create meaningful discussion (Simonson, 2007). The number of colleges using them in the United States has risen rapidly, from 19% in 2000, to 47% in 2004 (Gibbons, 2005). Popular course management systems include Moodle, Blackboard, and WebCT.

Course management systems have steadily been used as a learning tool in classes since their inception. They are a multimedia approach to learning with the added ability for students and teachers to communicate with one and other (DiPaolo, 2008). There are a number of different platforms that run on multiple languages, including Blackboard, Moodle, and Eduspace (DiPaolo, 2008). Students register or are registered through their schools for these sites and are given a password and username (Trotter, 2008). The viewing options of the web pages of course management systems can be changed by the students (DiPaolo, 2008). Teachers can post reading passages, links to websites, and clips that are relevant to their lessons (Trotter, 2008). Course management systems may also have an e-reserve system (electronic reserve) that lets students and teachers not have to rely on a hard copy of documents or a textbook (Gibbons, 2005.) Teachers can also post the syllabus and their grades to the site (Gibbons, 2005). They can also post assignments and assessments. A time slot is given for the assessment or assignment to be taken. This is up to the instructor, who can make it a certain time like nine to eleven am or leave the assessment up for a duration of a few days, a week, or even the entire time the class is being taken (Wink, 2011).
 * Important Findings on Student Outcomes**

Many of these course management systems allow online journaling. Online journaling can be a free write where students can write their thoughts and ideas on lessons and topics and use them to refer back to (Wink, 2011). This replaces the journaling that students used to do in the classroom where they wrote in notebooks that they either left i the classroom or took home with them. The online approach greatly helps disorganized students who may lose or forget to bring their journal to class. The information is easily at the student’s finger tips, just a log in and a few clicks away. Students can participate in discussions and ask questions on the discussion board that they sites have (DiPaolo, 2008). Course management systems utilize communication features like chat, discussion boards, and blogging to allow students to communicate their thoughts and ideas online (Wink, 2011). Besides aiding normal classroom instruction, teachers can use these features of a Course Management System to create hybrid classes (Gibbons, 2005). Hybrid classes, also called hybrid courses, are classes where online readings and activities replace part of the scheduled meeting time (Gibbons, 2005). Hybrid classes are slowly becoming more and more prominent in schools (Gibbons, 2005). These hybrid classes greatly improve distance learning and have been found to very popular with non-traditional students and commuters (Gibbons 2005). Unorganized students and hand on learners greatly benefit from Course management systems (DiPaolo, 2008) The information is in a well organized place with easy access. The syllabus is on a side tab, letting students keep up with assignments (DiPaolo, 2008). When students had the syllabus posted online and a dated list many teachers have found that it increases assignments being turned in on time. For hands on learners, information is just one click away and course management systems incorporate interesting modules and activities for students to work their way through.

One issue with course management systems is that they are a paid service. It is up to the schools and districts to subscribe. For school systems that cannot afford this, they must do without or find a grant that would allow them access to this service. As mentioned before, this does not seem to be a major hurdle to course management systems. The number of schools enrolling in them is increasing rapidly (Gibbons, 2005).
 * Emerging Trends and Open Issues**

The implementation of course management systems has been coined as "evolutionary opposed to revolutionary" (Chou, 2011). When it is first introduced in classrooms, teachers normally use it to supplement their teaching. They do not utilize all the features in the beginning (Chou, 2011). This is understandable, because at first the technology can be a little intimidating and there is a lot of it to go through and attempt to utilize. Teachers may have students post questions on the discussion board and post the grades in the gradebook. A question to ask is whether course management systems will help create an effective learning environment. Supporters of course management systems say that face to face learning is too passive and do not cause students to participate as much as they would through a course management systems while others teachers feel that in navigating the course management systems, students may get lost (Chou, 2011). Arguments for course management systems say that they create deeper learning (Chou, 2011). The argument states that there is a social part in the feedback of the message boards, an active problem-solving component of it, a way to relate back to the understanding of the learner, an engagement factor, and student reflection aspect that all cause higher learning (Chou, 2011). This debate is something that will only be answered as time goes on and teachers begin to or more fully use these tools in the classroom.

Course management systems are going to become and more prominent in education and we will only get the answers from user experience over time. I first found out about them in 2004 when I attended my first year of college. The school used a very basic form of WebCT. Teachers used it to post articles for us to read online for class. The school began to then use Moodle a few years later. My teacher had us use the discussion board and read articles online. It wasn't until 2009 that I had a class at UC that required us to really utilize a course management system. Every assignment was posted to Blackboard and we would submit it on Blackboard. The syllabus and discussion board were also utilized by the class. This technology is something that I've seen grow in use and functions during my own time in college and I am certain we will only see them be used more and more.


 * Reference**

Chou, A., & Chou, D. (2011). Course management systems and blended learning: An innovative learning approach. //Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education//, //9//(3), 463-484. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-4609.2011.00325.x/full

DiPaolo, O. (2008). //Review of course management systems//. (Vol. 91, pp. 412-413). New York: American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portugueseion. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.libraries.uc.edu/stable/10.2307/20063725?origin=api

Gibbons, S. (2005). //Course-management systems//. (Vol. 41, pp. 7-11). Chicago: American Library Association. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.libraries.uc.edu/docview/202708775?accountid=2909

Gibbons, S. (2005). //Integration of libraries and course-management systems//. (Vol. 41, pp. 12-20). Chicago: American Library Association. Retrieved from

Simonson, M. (2007). //Course management systems//. (8 ed., Vol. 1, p. 3). 15283518. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.libraries.uc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=ed79c964-6085-47c6-9734-e256330ca389@sessionmgr11&vid=2&hid=24

Trotter, A. (2008). //Comarket for k-12 course-management systems expands//. (Vol. 27). Bwthesda: Education Week. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.libraries.uc.edu/docview/202760228

Wink, D. (2011). //Optimizing use of course management systems//. (Vol. 36, pp. 4-6). Chicago: Nurse Educator. Retrieved from http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com.proxy.libraries.uc.edu/sp-3.5.1a/ovidweb.cgi?WebLinkFrameset=1&S=EBOHFPNJPKDDDHFJNCALMHOBFIBGAA00&returnUrl=ovidweb.cgi?&Full+Text=L%7cS.sh.15.16%7c0%7c00006223-201101000-00003&S=EBOHFPNJPKDDDHFJNCALMHOBFIBGAA00&directlink=http://graphics.tx.ovid.com/ovftpdfs/FPDDNCOBMHFJPK00/fs046/ovft/live/gv023/00006223/00006223-201101000-00003.pdf&filename=Optimizing Use of Course Management Systems.&pdf_key=FPDDNCOBMHFJPK00&pdf_index=/fs046/ovft/live/gv023/00006223/00006223-201101000-00003

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