lms build reflection

Kayla SmithED ET 755 – LMS Build Reflection

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Kayla SmithLMS Build ReflectionED ET 755, Summer I 2012June 25, 2012

LMS Build: My Reflection

For the LMS Build Project, we used the LMS, CourseSites which is offered by Blackboard, and selected the topic of implementing iPads into the K-5 environment according to Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. My group consisted of four other group members in addition to myself: Mandy Burdette, Israel Butler, Michelle New, and Dennis Regnier. We created an online course on the above topic and enrolled several students from our class to participate in the “mock trial”. These students were required to complete Modules One, Two, and Eight, which contained brief videos, textual information, external resources, assessments, activities, and discussion boards. This project was an extremely rewarding experience and I will utilize this information in the future as I develop other courses with a learning management system.

As a group, we decided to incorporate certain design elements into the construction of our course site. First of all, we intended for the site to resemble a traditional Blackboard site because we are all familiar with this layout and have used it in our classes as Educational Technology students. Furthermore, we planned to apply many of the principles to our site that we have learned about throughout this semester, including design, content, interactive, and assessment features. According to the rubric that we created to evaluate different online courses, our site offered navigational ease which allowed the learner to move from page to page with little to no difficulties. The navigational panel was located in the upper left corner of each page and was also consistent and self-explanatory. All of the links and buttons stood out, were clearly marked, worked properly, and led to their intended locations. In addition, the information on our site was structured and organized in a way that promoted meaningful learning. The organization of the website was consistent and followed the same layout from one page to the next in order for the learner to know what to expect. The information was easily accessed and displayed using a variety of methods that supported the needs of diverse learners. For example, there were multiple options available to assist students when learning the content, such as, pre- and post-assessments, video tutorials, instructional guides, and valuable resources (as well as many other things). The website utilized exceptional design techniques and arranged the information in modules with headers, readable fonts (Arial & Times New Roman), and different colors that focused the learner’s attention, helped them to locate the information of greatest importance (and use), and allowed for quicker access. For instance, the information highlighted in red indicated the duration of each module as well


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as the intended audience. As a group, we developed several different learning goals and objectives that were clearly conveyed to the learner in an explicit manner (stated in the syllabus). Therefore, the learner was aware of the expectations as well as the resulting outcomes of the course. This is evident when mentioned in the syllabus, “Learners will develop a comprehensive understanding of each level of the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy and will effectively utilize several iPad applications for each level” (iPad Syllabus). All of the objectives were measurable, appropriate, and relevant to the individuals enrolled in the course. The content was also well-organized, demonstrated a clear purpose, and matched the instructional objectives of the course. For example, the syllabus specified that the, “Learners will become familiar with the basic functions of the iPad,” (iPad Syllabus) which is the subject matter that is presented in the first module of the course. All of the links within the site are valuable and useful resources. They also provided accurate and reliable information. In our site, there was a particular area (External Links) for students to view many different resources that include information about implementing iPads into K-5 environments according to Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. As stated above, our website also presented the content in a thorough manner by delivering the information in multiple ways that supported various learning styles. The content on the website was factual and up-to-date. Collaboration is a key aspect in any online course. Our site provided means for asynchronous/synchronous collaborative work through discussion boards, e-mail interfacing, and file sharing (as well as others). Students were required to introduce themselves in Module One, and to also complete discussion boards in Modules Two and Eight to apply the knowledge they had learned from the content. Several collaborative tools were available that were easy to use and navigate, including discussion boards for both instructor-student interactions and student-student interactions. The students were involved and interacted with each other through discussion boards which produced a supportive and cohesive learning community. Instructors also responded to individual posts and provided feedback. According to the different forms of assessment, a wide variety of tools were used which offered students multiple options and assessed content knowledge. Students were given the opportunity to participate in both a pre- and post-assessment as well as several discussion boards to display their understanding of the content. The modes of assessment were considerate of individual learner differences and matched the objectives of the course. Feedback was also offered throughout the assessment process by peers and the instructors. The students were required to reply to other classmates’ responses and provide meaningful posts with their opinions, thoughts, experiences, and perspectives. In addition, instructors commented on student responses to clarify any misunderstandings and supply positive reinforcement. As noted above, we incorporated several design techniques in the construction of our site, but we also encountered a few design issues with our selected LMS, CourseSites.


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The entire process of inserting information into the LMS was tedious and time-consuming. Our group intended for the information and layout to look organized and consistent in order for the students to know what to expect within each module. This was a very monotonous task as I would enter the information and format it according to our preferences. However, I would click “submit” and then the information did not appear the way that I wanted. I continually had to edit and resubmit the information for it to display in the correct fashion. I think that a good technique that “works” among many of the sites that I have participated in as a student is the way that the information is both arranged and organized. We decided to assemble our information into modules which helped learners to easily navigate and determine the content that they would be learning about for that specified week. Personally, I believe that our site was well-planned and thought out, but that of course, there are a few improvements to consider. For example, we possibly could have included more options for students to access and obtain the information, such as, by incorporating short videos into each of the modules that provided a brief introduction to the content or narrated PowerPoints to emphasize important points of the specified material. We also could have offered more opportunities for asynchronous and synchronous collaborative exercises to occur throughout our course. With this in mind, we could have possibly integrated more group tasks into the modules and scheduled some synchronous class meetings. However, I evaluated our site according to the rubric that we developed previously and I believe that it is almost a “Target” course.

I participated in the course, Getting Started with Mobile Learning – BYOD, and I learned a great deal of useful information. The instructors were extremely involved as they provided feedback and responded to each discussion board post within the learning modules. They also incorporated an abundance of valuable information into the course, such as, videos, content, and external resources. I enjoyed learning more about this topic and obtaining resources to a variety of supplemental materials that depicts the reason why mobile devices should be integrated into the classroom. Unfortunately, the modules as well as the content and deadlines were difficult to follow which detracted from the layout of the course. Personally, I am not a huge fan of some of the organizational arrangements within these sites where students have to click over many screens to receive all of their information. I believe that it is much more effective for all of the information to be displayed in one, coherent place. In addition, we were asked to participate in a group project with one other student enrolled in the course. I encountered many problems with this project because the directions were neither explicit nor clear and there was not an adequate amount of examples to assist me while taking part and completing the project. Ultimately, I believe that this project was very beneficial and worthwhile. This information will remain useful in the future as I continue taking distance education courses and potentially as I begin to develop these types of courses for an


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upcoming job. The entire project, including the rubric and evaluations, helped us to determine the most effective ways to develop the content, assessments, and collaborative tools; and therefore, deliver the information in an efficient manner to our students.

Resources:LMS Group Rubric