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Choosing a CMS l
Improving Teaching with CMS l
Using Evaluation to Get More Value from a
CMS
From Angel, Blackboard, Chef,
Desire2Learn, and eCollege, all the way to Moodle and
WebCT, institutions are investing more every year in course
management systems (CMSs) and learning management systems (LMSs).
The TLT Group has been involved with helping institutions
get more value from existing systems as well as in cutting
edge work with the Open
Knowledge Initiative. This page was developed for, and
support from TLT/Flashlight subscriber institutions; it is
also available to non-subscribers as a free sample of the
kind of resources we develop.
EduTools
furnishes helpful reviews of system features. But how do
you decide which features are important? One way is to
evaluate how faculty and students are using current
software: what's easy? what's hard? what kinds of
teaching/learning activities would they do more of if
systems made it easier. For more on this approach, see #3
below.
CMSs are relatively similar
in their features. If one institution gets more value from
having a CMS than another institution does, it's probably
because the faculty and students at the first institution
make better use of the CMS's capabilities. The TLT Group
site is loaded with free ideas about how to use CMSs for
better teaching including, for example:
One powerful way for a
system, institution, department or faculty member to get
more value from a CMS is to study what's happened so far, as
a way of identifying barriers that can be lowered and
opportunities that can be exploited. Here are some resources
that can help you use assessment to guide future use of your
CMS. (Note: accreditors like to see you do this, too!) If
you'd like our help in doing such studies (advice on your
plans, creating studies for you, etc.), e-mail us at
online@tltgroup.org.)
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Formative Evaluation of CMS
use (gathering evidence to see how to get more value
from the system) :
Flashlight Course Management System Study Package.
(available only to
subscribing institutions)
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Summative evaluation - in what ways has CMS use by an
institution been educationally valuable?
TLT Group consulting
The materials about are
helpful on their own. Most institutions find them even more
useful if they also get some consulting or training help
from The TLT Group. We can, for example, help you devise or
improve a long-term faculty development program, spread the
use of 'low threshold activities,' create studies to test
the value and control costs of system use, and help faculty
use assessment to improve their teaching. Please e-mail us
at online@tltgroup.org
if you'd like to explore the possibilities. (Note:
Network subscribers
get sharp discounts on these services. In fact, joining the
Network can save you considerable money, and get your
institution extra benefits in the bargain)
Related TLT Group
Material:
Planning and Evaluating Learning Spaces - Physical and
Virtual
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PO Box
5643,
Takoma Park, Maryland 20913
Phone:
301.270.8312/Fax: 301.270.8110
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To talk about our work
or our organization
contact: Sally Gilbert |
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