| E-learning courses delivered via learning | | | | Using Web 2.0 tools like discussion forums for |
| management systems within school districts are | | | | student assignments is a common practice in |
| able to address all kinds of issues schools face, | | | | e-learning courses--especially at the university |
| including too few course offerings, teacher | | | | level. But it isn't enough just to tell students to |
| shortages in certain areas, the rising number of | | | | answer questions and post them, and "get |
| home-schoolers, lack of AP courses, and lack of | | | | engaged." The assignment needs to be |
| physical space and school funding. | | | | coordinated in a way that ensures maximum |
| The downside is that plagiarism and other forms | | | | responses and originality. Without a strategy to |
| of dishonesty are likelier to happen in online | | | | make the tools work and avoid copying and |
| education. Cheating doesn't occur only in online | | | | repetition, educational tools like discussion forums |
| assessments, but also in online discussion forums, | | | | and wikis become ineffective. |
| assignments, projects and other collaborative, | | | | The best strategy to ensure that students are |
| online, educational tools. | | | | engaged is to create engaging material. Dynamic |
| We in the e-learning community believe that online | | | | course features like videos, audio material like |
| learning is an effective method of teaching, | | | | podcasts, and other tools are simple ways to |
| training, and testing student understanding, but it | | | | obtain and maintain students' attention and |
| needs to be done well. And it often is not. In | | | | interest. |
| many popular e-learning systems, when a student | | | | However, even the most engaging course and |
| receives a high score on an online assessment, it | | | | the most interactive content needs to be kept in |
| makes us wonder: is it an accurate indicator of | | | | check by a way to track and monitor student |
| the student's understanding? | | | | progress. |
| According to studies, 70% of American high | | | | Once a learning management system is in place |
| school seniors admit to cheating on at least one | | | | and its features are understood, administrators |
| test, and 95% of the students who admitted to | | | | can take advantage of its tools to easily create a |
| cheating were never caught. And furthermore, | | | | system in which student progress is tracked. |
| 75% of college students reported cheating during | | | | Once the system is in place, instructors and |
| their college career. To sum it up, cheating is a | | | | educators need not worry much about grading |
| huge temptation, and something that most people | | | | and other traditionally tedious activities. |
| do at some point. | | | | A good LMS automates not only the |
| As educators, online course developers, and | | | | administration of training, but the way in which |
| training instructors, our goal is to provide effective | | | | administrators can find out students' progress. |
| and engaging content so that students are both | | | | Ultimately, creating and maintaining a great course, |
| inspired to learn and held accountable if they are | | | | tracking and monitoring student progress needs to |
| not doing their best. But how do we go about | | | | be both built in to an e-learning system but most |
| achieving this goal? | | | | importantly, the intent needs to exist. It's |
| A robust learning management system will | | | | something that must be actively sought, rather |
| provide the best tools for ensuring that students | | | | than passively dismissed. A strong learning |
| are putting in their best effort and submitting | | | | management system with automated tracking |
| creative and original work. Tools that prevent | | | | tools is great, but even more ideal is that |
| cheating and monitor student progress are part of | | | | combined with the energy and effort of the |
| this solution. | | | | person behind the scenes, delivering the content. |