In my research for a system to help us manage our dialect sound files, I’ve been doing quite a bit of thinking about Sakai, WebCT and other learning managment systems, as compared to MySpace and FaceBook.com. As an online student myself (using WebCT at Capella U.), a teacher and a technology planner I think the LMS folks are making improvements, but I’ve come to think they are fixing the wrong problems. These LMS’ are still focused on the traditional university – classroom – professor centric model. The students are sort of like spokes on a wheel with the class/faculty member at the hub. Contrast this to the MySpace/FaceBook.com model, which is student centric. The student takes their social life and creates a system where they are at the middle.
As a student I really want something like MySpace that allow me to organize my academic studies around me. The traditional LMS may be convenient for the professior and administration, but it really doesn’t do me much good. I often find my self working out different angles on an idea or area of study that crosses several classes I’m taking. But my comments, postings, notes, etc. get scattered across all these classes. And what’s worse is that they disappear once the semester is over. I need a collective bibliography of websites, articles, book references etc. that follows me easily from class to class. And I’d like to be able to share some of these elements and be able to view to work of fellow students.
A good post on the Auricle blog offers some good thoughts on the role of e-learning systems:
The internet as ‘filling station’ model is a world away from a total focus on the ‘must be connected’ Blackboard, WebCT et al view of e-learning. Devices like the forthcoming Sony Reader and content archives automatically accessed and devices updated via an iTunes or Podcast like applications, e.g. iPodder or RSSOwl, suggest that there are alternatives to the current way the majority of institutions approach the e-learning business. Some lateral thinking along the lines of iTunes at Stanford could perhaps replace, particularly, the content repository functions for which, undoubtedly, the majority of VLEs are currently being used.
In some ways I guess part of what I’m looking for is similar to the promise of on line portfolios. I should take another looks at some of those technologies — I wasn’t very impressed when I last surveyed the field 8 months ago, but maybe the landscape has improved.
But as I explore and dig into Drupal more I think there could be some real promise here. We’ll see….
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Randall Rode's online home for thoughts, notes, and experiments with a wide range of technology topics. Visit the about page for info on my recent projects and professional background. I welcome your comments!
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