--On 02 January 2003 10:25 +0000 Eoin Campbell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
There are two separate issues here, creating content for online learning, and managing the online learning process. Learning Management Systems (LMSs) like BlackBoard and WebCT only support the management part, such as registering students, controlling access to courses, maintaining online test scores, etc. They provide a web interface for creating multi-choice and other tests, but no support for creating online learning materials, other than allowing you to upload HTML pages (and other formats). I was quite amazed when I discovered this, especially considering the prices they charge, but apparently the market need they satisfy is for automating the administrative aspects of the learning process, rather than the pedagogical or content issues.
Quite. But I suspect the penny is starting to drop as academic staff realise how rigid (pedagogically) these LMSs are. Perhaps second- or third- generation systems will be pedagogically richer? It is rather telling that of twenty or so medical schools in the UK _none_ have gone the commercial route but _all_ have opted for a bespoke LMS (often built using the same sort of frameworks - Zope et al. - that we hear regularly about on this list). I guess it comes down to whether you're in the business of training or education. Note that Oxford, having considered a long list of commercial offerings, decided to opt for an open source route: <http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0209&L=vle&T=0&F=&S=&P=2201>
Plug: We have developed software for Pearson Education to enable them to author online learning materials, including text, tests, and multi-media (Flash, videos, etc.) in MS-Word, and convert to HTML and XML. They then upload this to their own online BlackBoard-based LMS www.coursecompass.com.
AOI do a WYSIWYG editor for Blackboard <http://www.aoisystems.com/aoiedit.htm> Can you share any more information about your Word -> HTML/XML tools? I looked on www.coursecompass.com without success. Making the publication process frictionless for LMSs like Blackboard is a mixed blessing IHMO - what should be exercising people is how they get their content _out again_ at some future time. The CMS community is well aware of this issue; the LMS community has only just started to learn this painful and expensive lesson. Paul -- The Library, Tyndall Avenue, Univ. of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TJ, UK E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] URL: http://www.bris.ac.uk/ -- http://cms-list.org/ a wish for peace in the new year.
