May 01st, 2016

Learning management systems all have their pros and cons when it comes to using them in the classroom. The hardest part is finding the best one to fit the needs of the learners and the community. Careful consideration should be given to the benefits and downsides of the learning management system before committing to one as a school. Some of these benefits and downsides are included below. 

Advantages:

1. Available anywhere anytime online: With a learning management system, students can access the class content from anywhere, anytime and on any device (ProProfs, 2013). This provides the learner with an immense amount of flexibility in their learning. For students who are travelling, have children, working full time or a range of other things, they are able to ensure they have easy access to engage with content and complete assignments. With a learning management system, students can access information both in class and outside of school.
2. Tracking of Students & Progress: With a learning management system, there are many functions to track student progress easily. This includes things such as instant assessment and feedback (ProProfs, 2013). This helps to increase transparency between the teacher, student and school while also supporting the students in using this feedback to further help them grow. The teacher can use the data gained from assessment or other administrative aspects to help them further plan and support students.

Disadvantages:

1. Ongoing Training & IT Support: Learning Management Systems are not usually set up just by the teacher. The IT department needs to support with training teachers on the functions and tools, helping them get content onto the site, maintaining the LMS and ensuring security for students and staff (Contact North, 2012). This means that the teacher and students are often reliant on other staff to ensure the course is in ‘working condition’. Sufficient IT staffing would need to be in place to be able to support teachers and students and the school would have to have funding to ensure this. This will also need to lead to increased teacher training to become competent with the learning management system that can be expensive but has the potential to build capacity in teachers (Contact North, 2012).
2. Lack of Integration of Other Web 2.0 Tools: Learning Management Systems have limitations often with the functions/ tools available. As teachers become more facilitators and learning becomes more student-driven, a one-size fits all model is not effective. Teachers need to work to use a learning management system in conjunction with other Web 2.0 to personalize the learning for students. While some may be able to integrate other tools, it is often considered ‘clunky’. Therefore, it is important that when integrating Web 2.0 tools for engagement and personalized learning that it is easy for the user (Contact North, 2012)

References
Contact North. (2012). Is there a future for learning management systems? Retrieved from: http://teachonline.ca/sites/default/files/contactNorth/files/pdf/publications/the_future_of_learning_management_systems_eng.pdf

ProProfs. (2013). What is a learning management system? LMS Software [Video Log Post]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAsdtwj00Uo