Before starting university, I had no idea of what a LMS was or its potential, but now I do.
CQU uses the LMS moodle. It seems to work ok for what it is needed for. In a school environment different LMS may be used depending on the context.
A SWOT of Moodle:
Strengths:
- Great communication for distance students. They can just log on and access notes that have been put up, powerpoint slides etc.
- Assessment can take place on the moodle site. Online quizes that can assess all sorts of knowledge plus submission of assessement items can take place online.
- You can send a message to other users who are enrolled in the moodle site. For distance ed students this can bridge the gap and stop students from feeling isolated.
- Usage and time spent on the site can be monitored by the teacher (or lecturer) and whether or not a learner is spending enough time engaging with materials can be assessed.
- Other users can post profiles to the site which can be viewed by other members and this can form networks and partnerships between learners.
Weaknesses:
- Some learners may view a moodle site as being fairly static in regards to communication when they compare it to a social networking site such as twitter or facebook.
- It can take a fair amount of time to set up a moodle site that is usable for learners.
- Face to face communication may be preferable to learners.
- Learners may feel that if everything is on the moodle site then they don't need to attend classes or go to school. Face to face contact (where possible) is IMPORTANT.
Opportunities:
- has the potential to make distance learning more easier
Threats:
- Some learners may not have internet access and therefore disregard using the site as important for their learning
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