Selecting a LMS/CMS and

Switching from Proprietary

to Open Source LMS/CMS

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

crwr77@gmail.com
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What is a learning management system
or course management system?
It is an integrated and comprehensive
software package that supports the:
• development,
• delivery,
• evaluation, and
• administration
of online education or training activity.

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

300+ LMS/CMS
Yet, most educators know only about:
Blackboard
Desire2Learn
Moodle or Totara
Sakai

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Why do you want to use one?
Support current face-to-face instruction?
Provide online education?
Or, both?
Perhaps you also want to:
Increase accessibility
Develop new markets beyond your community
Obtain more precise data about learning

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Key to Implementation
“I find that my fellow technologists (and administrators)
seem to see teachers as lesser beings without
understanding the difficulties they face on a daily basis.
In the ivory tower we inhabit, many technologists
produce 'solutions' for teachers which are not used as
there is insufficient consultation with teachers to begin
with about what they need and how they will use it.”
(Ann MacCann, Centre for Learning Innovation, Australia. Message posted during PCF4
Online Discussion on Innovation, October 9, 2006)

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright 6

Selecting an LMS/CMS
Consider these perspectives:
Learner
Instructor
Administrator
Technical
Some features or attributes must be
viewed from several perspectives.

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

The Basics

Getting Started
8
 Does the software facilitate the type
of learning interactions that instructors
and students need and want?

Does the software enable the institution to

achieve its vision and objectives?

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Is the software:
Capable
Flexible
Reliable/stable
Secure
Scalable
Robust?

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

 Cost of Ownership
Purchase or lease costs
Training costs
Implementation costs
Maintenance costs
Total cost of ownership
Are the costs sustainable?
Wayan Vota

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

 Features from
Different Perspectives
Learner
Perspective

13
Learner Perspective
Flexible browser requirements
Able to use MS, Mac, and
Linux operating systems
Intuitive interface
Ease of navigation J. Hamilton

Accessibility to all parts of the course

Presence of a linked course glossary

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Learner Perspective continued
Sending and receiving e-mail
Manipulating attachments
Submitting assignments – flexible
procedures and file formats

Superkimbo
Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright
Learner Perspective continued
Tracking progress
Accessing marks
Availability of collaborative
features, e.g., chat, forums,
sharable whiteboard
Multi-lingual support

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Learner Perspective continued

Multimedia and mobile capabilities

Ordering and paying for resources online
Online registration and payment
Availability /responsiveness of online help
Learner Perspective continued

Learners may want features that need to be

obtained from third parties, but these features
must be able to integrate with the LMS/CMS.
How accommodating is the software?
Will it interface with social media?
Can learners use their smartphones
to access and retrieve information?
Instructor Perspective
19
Instructor Perspective
Ease of use
Able to handle existing course material
Able to import material from another LMS
Handles a variety of learning strategies
Availability of templates / course shells
Able to edit and change course material
without assistance

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Instructor Perspective continued

Accepts basic files such as MS

Word, PPT, Excel, or OpenOffice
Integrates with existing and future
resources made with other
software, e.g., Flash
Accommodates course cartridges
and testbanks provided by
publishers

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Instructor Perspective continued

Accepts a variety of audio and video files

Allows for customization of course pages
Able to handle “x” number of concurrent
or simultaneous users

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Instructor Perspective continued

Provides synchronous communication

tools, especially electronic whiteboards
Availability of collaborative tools
Able to send individual and group e-mails
Instructor Perspective continued

Availability of various assessment tools

Provides online marking, grading, and
record keeping
Can export marks and grades to Excel
Shows learners’ progress
and utilization in a
graphical form

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Instructor Perspective continued

BC ETUG Fall Workshop, 2008

Able to customize rating scales

Provides a calendar linking all activities
Availability of online help

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Administrative
Perspective

26
Administrative Perspective
Type of student data collected
Type of reports generated
Tracking students’ activities
Searchable databases with
defined parameters
Level of security, security
customization, and confidentiality

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Administrative Perspective continued
Instructors able to enroll and
withdraw students
Digital rights management
capability
Availability of productivity
features, e.g., calendar, scheduling
Seamless integration with other
administrative systems, e.g.,
registration, HR, shipping

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Administrative Perspective continued

Able to send a broadcast to all

or to a sub-group of users
Training needed to support
users – start-up and on-going
Cost to implement and
maintain the system
Adoption rate in local, national,
and international communities

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

 Technical
Perspective

30
Technical Perspective
Hardware, software, and network
requirements to support the system
Compliance with recognized standards,
e.g., the Sharable Content Object
Reference Model (SCORM)
Seamless transfer of data to and from
other institutional software

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Technical Perspective continued

Minimum hardware, software, and

network requirements for students
Capable of adjusting to the various
network speeds accessible to users
Able to accommodate additional
features such as podcasting and
formatting for mobile devices

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Technical Perspective continued

Resources required to support the

technical needs of users
Security – authentication and encryption
Scalability – limits to the system,
especially how many users can be enrolled
and can use the system at the same time

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Technical Perspective continued

Reliability
Back-up features – when, where, how often
Accessibility to source code
Customization – procedures to be followed,
programming language required
Ease of maintenance and administration

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Technical Perspective continued

Documentation provided
Resources and training needed to
implement and support hardware
and software
Training available from the vendor
Level of support provided, if any –
effective and responsive

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Setting
Priorities
Learners should
come first!

Ingo Bernhardt

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Switching from
Proprietary to
Open Source

37
What is open source software?
It is computer software for which:
The source code is available to the end-user.
The source code can be modified by the end-user.
There are no restrictions on redistribution or use.
The licensing conditions are intended to facilitate
continued re-use and wide availability.
(Joint Information Systems Committee of the Higher
Education Funding Councils for England, Scotland,
and Wales, http://www.jisc.ac.uk)

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

 What drives the development
of open source software?
“Open(-source) software
development is based on the
deep-seated belief that software
is something that should be
shared freely so as to widen
access to the benefits of
technology for everyone.”
(Wayne Mackintosh, COL. Message posted during UNESCO Open Software Online
Discussion, October 1, 2006)

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Why switch?
Cost and to avoid
potential increase in fees
Need to free-up resources
Ivars Krutainis Lack of vendor support
Difficult or unable to
customize – no access to
source code or vendor
slow to respond

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Why switch?
Issues with reliability and security
Dissatisfied learners and faculty
Existing software may not be kept current
Concern regarding “all eggs in one basket”
Limited scalability of existing software
To participate in open,
more collaborative
communities

Handles
Why switch?
Continued

Address the use of multiple LMS on campus Ryan Jesena

Prior to the conversion:
Discuss issues that arise
when mounting any major
project management
activity, e.g., resources,
timelines, and the criteria
for measuring success
Determine learner and
Ed Yourdon
faculty goals

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Prior to the conversion:
Ascertain interoperatability with existing
third party vendor products especially
those associated with student
registration, finances, human resources,
shipping, and database management
Also consider:
Security
Timing of
conversion
Cost of conversion
– savings emerge
only after the
conversion is
complete
http://www.google.ca/images?q=educational+technology+photos

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Ensuring a successful transition :
Provide course shells with basic functions
Provide instructors with design and
technical support
Consider outsourcing the conversion
process; but remember, when they leave,
they take their expertise with them

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Ensuring a successful transition: continued

Produce and distribute brief step-by-

step instructions for frequent activities
Place these sheets online too.
Make available short
online and face-to-face
tutorials about the
new LMS
Educational Technology Center, Valdosta State University

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Do…
Compare
Check with other users
Pilot
Plan for implementation

Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications (WCET)

provides independent reviews, side-by-side comparisons, and
consulting services: EduTools, http://www.edutools.info

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

 Usually,
when you try to please
everyone, you fail to
please anyone!

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright 49

When selecting software…

Focus on meeting the needs of learners

and instructors
Be cautious of hype and vapourware
Align the purchase to organizational goals

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright

Most importantly:

Plan each step of the implementation.

Provide everyone with accessible,
timely, and reliable support. Matt Zick
Additional Items for
Consideration?
Before the next generation arrives
you may need
to do this all over again!

J. Hamilton

Selecting a LMS, Clayton R. Wright 53

Thank you!!!
Clayton R. Wright, PhD
crwr77@gmail.com