What are the learning needs of the students?
How will you maximize their learning with the use of technology and personalize learning environments?
Once the school decides to provide options for students regarding course delivery methods to complete their degrees, the selection of the course delivery system usually begins. This generally requires considering all available options.
Course delivery systems: course management systems
Course delivery systems (CDS), also known by some as course management system (CMS) or learning management system (LMS), are software programs or applications that permit the development and delivery of a course or training program without requiring knowledge of programming code. These programs provide the tools necessary to plan, implement, and assess the learning process by giving the professor/trainer the ability to create and deliver content, monitor learner participation and progress, provide for interactive communications, and assess learning outcomes.28 Many believe there are distinct differences between a CDS (CMS) and an LMS and that a CMS is a narrower term than an LMS. An LMS includes course management but also includes additional features that handle course registration, integration with HR systems, administrative features, and integration with other institutional information systems.28,29 In other words, an LMS handles all aspects of eLearning or corporate training, while a CMS focuses on content delivery and learner interaction and communication. This distinction, however, is blurring as CMS vendors incorporate more of the management aspect into their products.
There are several CMS software programs available, and the market is constantly changing. See Table 31.1 for CMS usage rankings reported by Campus Computing in 2015.30 However, it should be noted that three fifths (61.6%) of campuses responding to the survey report plans to review their current LMS strategy for budget or other reasons. Although Table 31.1 lists the most frequently used CMSs in the academic higher education world, the business world uses other CMSs for its training. Some of the more common examples include Cornerstone, SuccessFactors, Interactyx TOPYX, LearnUpon, SilkRoad, DigitalChalk, and Grovo, to name a few.31 Other CMSs are popular with the K-12 institutions and still others with the international market.
Table 31.1
Campus Computing Profile of the Course Management Systems Market, Fall 2014
CMS Market Share (%)*
Blackboard 39.1
Moodle 21.6
Instructure (Canvas) 14.2
D2L 11.8
Sakai 3.1
Data from Green K. C. The Campus Computing Project. http://www.campuscomputing.net/sites/www.campuscomputing.net/files/CC2015%20-%20Exec%20Summary%20&%20Graphics.pdf; 2015 [p. 17].
CMS, Course management system, D2L, desire2learn.
* Rounded up.
The CMS selection decision often rests with administrators, information technology (IT) personnel, and faculty, although some institutions may have student representatives on the planning committee. The process for the selection of a CMS should be an integral part of the strategic plan for distance education or corporate training. CMS selection should never be delegated to the IT department with minor input from other stakeholders. Considerations for selection include the following: