How does LMS Work?

18 Learning Management System

B. The Functions of LMS

At a minimum, the LMS usually allows for student registration, the delivery and tracking of e-learning courses and content, and testing, and may also allow for the management of instructor-led training classes. In the most comprehensive of LMSs, one may find tools such as competency management, skills-gap analysis, succession planning, certifications, virtual live classes, and resource allocation venues, rooms, textbooks, instructors, etc.. Most systems allow for learner self-service, facilitating self-enrolment, and access to courses. As in conventional instructional processes, e-learning involves at least three interest- groups: instructors, administrators, and students. In conventional face to face classes in- structors usually have tasks to set goals contents, to prepare materials and learning re- sources, to present or to deliver the materials to students, to organize classes, to commu- nicate with students, to evaluate students, and so forth. Administrators have tasks to reg- ister students, to make course catalogoffering, to schedule courses, to manage examina- tion, to record students’ grades, and so forth. Students as learner have tasks to selecttake courses, to follow classes, to acquire learning resources, to read learning materials, to communicate with other students and instructors, to do to submit assignments, and to take testexamination. Figure 4 Architecture of e-learning software

C. The Components and Features of LMS

Because in learning process there are at least three groups of interests, an LMS should provide tools and facilities to support each the three groups. The three groups are instruc- tors teacherslecturers, students, and administrators.. An LMS must have facilities for instructors to manage their courses, provide tools for students to follow the courses, and facilitate administrators to administer courses within the e-learning system. PORTAL Authoring Corporate Information System E-Commerce Transactions Course Management Adaptive Learning Engine D b Instructional Design DB Users DB Content DB Learning Management System 19 The features of LMS to support instructors, students, and administrator are described be- low see e.g. Beshears, 1999; Wikipedia.

1. Instructors Tool Set for Course Website Development and Management:

a. Web-based file management upload, modify, and create documents b. Course website backup, download, upload facilities c. Course announcements and calendar administration tool d. Course website glossary building tool e. Course website indexing system Student account administration tools including student group administration f. Templates that can be used by instructors to create content pages, discussion forums, chat, quizzes and exercises such as multiple-choice, truefalse and one- word-answer. g. Assignment publishing h. ExaminationQuizSurvey development tool i. Online grade book grade reporting tool j. Student access tracking i.e. how many news articles have they postedread, which pages have they accessed k. Webpage access tracking i.e. how many students have accessed a page, when did each student access the page l. Communication tools internal e-mail, chat rooms, discussion forums, etc.

2. Students Tool Set:

a. Student accounts for webpage publishing b. Course materials and resources accesses c. Course content annotation facility and bookmarks d. Group work areas for collaborative webpage publishing Wiki e. Assignment submission tool f. Student self-evaluations g. Communication tools Web-based email and discussion groups, chat rooms, white boards, etc. h. Individual grade and progress status reports

3. Administrator Tool Set :

a. Course management course website creation, change, duplication, backup, down- loadinguploading, rostering, and deletion b. The course syllabus management c. Administrative information including the location of sessions, details of pre- requisites and co-requisites, credit information, and how to get help d. A notice board for up-to-date course information e. Users account management createmodifydelete lecturersstudents accounts, and if necessary payment options for students f. System setting change access policy, interface, appearance, etc. g. Course website statistics: i. number of students enrolled in a course ii. file space used by a course website iii. number of hits on a course website iv. first and last access date v. space capacity and usage.