Finding the Right Learning Management System
A fight worth fighting
An LMS is simply an online or app-based learning management system—an all-encompassing term for how and what a school (or a business) uses to create and manage its online courses, including: assignments, grading, reports and other feedback and information from teachers to students, parents and administrators—and there are many LMS options out there. In broad sense, and LMS is usually a part of a school’s Student Information System (SIS) and Content Management System (CNS). For my purposes, I will focus on helping you find the right LMS for your school. Choosing the right LMS shapes and defines the academic experience of students, parents, faculty and administrators in profound ways. If it is too complex, disaster and apathy reigns supreme. If it is too simple, it does not allow for or enable a broad, rich and diverse curriculum or full and effective feedback and management.
I write this, not as a reviewer of different LMS systems or a self-proclaimed expert, but as a dabbler in learning management systems—an odd hobby, I know—and as someone who believes in the power and promise of technology to empower a wide swath of potential students, and, perhaps ironically, to simplify the process of accessing and engaging learning in a dynamic and guided way. I certainly have my favorite learning management systems, and I am not loathe to share them, but I am also well aware that I wear a somewhat myopic lens. What inspires me may not be what inspires you. My needs may not mesh with your needs, but the need for a school to think clearly when considering an LMS is compelling and a process that requires forethought. What might be great from an administrative standpoint may not be what works best for teachers and students. If the teacher experience is frustrating, the cascading effect falls onto the students, and no amount of good intent on the part of administrators can stem the flow.
What follows are some thoughts about how to choose an LMS that fits your needs. If you have any specific questions or comments, please contact me via email or leave a comment.
What devices are used by students?
What you use should inform what you choose. Are you an iPad-based school? Chromebooks? PC or Mac computers or laptops? Or BYOD where students use any device they own? Different LMS’s have different strengths and weaknesses. The bottom line is to choose what best suits the students and teachers using the device they commonly use—everything else flows from this critical need to put teachers in control of an effective LMS that engages, informs and assists the the students in their daily work and progress.
An LMS in an iPad-based school should use an LMS with a dedicated app for both iPad and phones, not simply a web-based browser. If laptops or BYOD are used, the options are more, but not necessarily better. The best platforms additionally enable mobile learning on phones and tablets.
How robust is the LMS platform?
A robust LMS allows for a wide variety of content. It should allow assignments and projects to be accessed, completed, turned in, reviewed and graded—and returned—in the wide variety of file types, apps and digital media that teachers use to create assignments and students use to create and complete assignments. Students (and parents) can be quickly and easy notified via text or email whenever a new assignment or project is posted or updated. It is frustrating when you discover (after the fact) that your LMS does not do what you hope it would do, such as integrate with Google Docs or that a student cannot submit an assignment in Notability, Power Point or Keynote, or in a Pages Doc or Microsoft Word, or audio and video files—or any file type that you consistently use in your classes.
A robust LMS helps teachers create assessments. Teachers should be able to create self-grading quizzes, fill-in-the-blank questions, major tests, graded short responses and essays and intuitive assessment of student’s progress in an ongoing way—not simply when the work is complete. A robust LMS should also be able to measure progress and add input in real time.
A robust LMS allows parents to access and review the daily curriculum. assignments and to be contacted and informed directly from the LMS. There are so many times in the midst of grading that I wish I could send a quick note to a parent or student without the hassle of opening up my email. Oftentimes, I just want to send a brief update or comment to a student or parent that is limited to a specific part of an assignment, and I am nit interested in creating an ongoing email chain that floods an already overloaded inbox.
A robust LMS hosts threaded discussion boards. There is no downside to forum-based discussion threads. Discussion boards create a platform for all manner of class discussions—anything from topic-based responses to a prompt, a question and answer forum for class projects assignments, shared metacognition and reflections, and discussions about literature—to, well, anything that could be—but was not—discussed in class. The primary benefit is that a discussion thread equalizes the opportunities for ALL voices to be heard in equal measure; the threads encourage more deliberative and thoughtful responses, and some LMS’s even allow for grades to be recorded directly from the thread with no need to manually create a grade book entry.
A robust LMS simplifies the grading process. Reports and assessments can be completed within the LMS. There are few teachers who applaud the arduous task of gathering, collating and grading student work. ANYTHING that simplifies the grading and assessment process is welcomed and appreciated by all teachers.
A robust LMS facilitates collaboration. In my own experiences in my many years as a classroom teacher, collaborative projects bring students closer to real life than any other curricular activity; likewise, collaboration between teachers inspires new ways of looking at our common approaches and broadens the bandwidth across a wide spectrum of possibilities. A robust LMS makes this collaboration easy and accessible. Kids learn from each other; the bar of exceptions is raised, and the end experience richens the lives of students and teachers alike.
A robust LMS integrates with the school’s existing infrastructure and administrative needs. In the end, it all falls on the administrators and staff to deliver report cards, send out mid-term or end-of-term comments and final student assessments. A robust LMS takes away the heavy lifting and does it for administrators without teachers needing to open various platforms, docs, and spreadsheets to recreate their feedback.
A robust LMS should be stable, well-tested and proven effective in different educational communities. Schools that host a dynamic and effective learning management system are proud and invariably willing to share their stories with other schools. Contact these schools and ask about their experiences, successes and failures—and balance their experience with your schools aspirations.
Reality checks…
Not everyone likes Learning Management Systems. Not everyone believes that going digital is a good idea. Most good teachers have developed their own effective ways to deliver their own assignments, and being forced to learn a new way of doing things—a new way of classroom management—feels more imposing and overly complicated than their own time-tested ways.
The reality, however, is that the ship has already sailed. We live in a digital world and are teaching the new digital generation, but it is critical too that we understand the reticence of many teachers to embrace the monster of technology with unbridled enthusiasm; hence, my advice is too move slowly; accept that individual teachers cannot retool or stop the lumbering barge of tradition on a dime. Give them time. Offer workshops and tutorials. Show them what works. Simplify the initial demands as much as possible.
But don’t give in. Our students are entering a world where academic classes are often taught online. They practice for SAT’s online. They complete school applications and essays online. They live online and communicate online. It is no great leap of faith for these students to embrace an LMS that actually simplifies and organizes their school experience, and it is no great expectation to ask teachers to transition to using a common LMS.
Not every LMS does what it claims to do. The crux is how well an LMS does what it claims to do. No doubt, the companies that offer learning management systems are in it to make a profit, and the better ones are working hard to make sure their LMS is better than their competitors; therefore, it is fairly critical to be a wise consumer and not fall for promises, but to practice due diligence and buy the best product for the needs of your school. It is more than a matter of ticking off feature boxes; it is assessing if the features will work as advertised; hence, it is imperative to choose an established LMS that has proven it is in for the long haul, and its has a team of engineers working hard to improve their product.
Not every school needs or wants an LMS. It could well be that your school is running pretty well the way things are. Your school might be small enough to handle the work without a dedicated LMS, or maybe you simply don’t have the funds to buy a comprehensive LMS. I would defer to the wisdom of individual schools in these cases, but (a rather big but) I would argue it is important it is important to not constrain teachers who wish to use an LMS within their own classes.
For the past fifteen years, I have used a class blog, Powered by Typepad.com as my LMS. I have it pretty dialed in; it is effective and remarkably simple, and my students know where to go to access, submit and complete their assignments. In my summer writing programs, I use a dedicated website, TheCraftedword.org, as well as iTunes U and, for certain more demanding courses, the free version of Schoology. (A number of LMS companies have a free version of their LMS’s) available for individual teacher use. If you are iPad-based, Apple Schoolwork is a free and simple way to manage your classes without being tied to a full-scaled LMS. If you use Chromebooks or laptops, Google Docs and Google classroom is a powerful, familiar and ubiquitous platform.
The reality is that the teacher who teaches best follows his or her own bent of genius—and the practices of these few may well enlighten and inspire others. Imitate their successes and trust their wisdom. There is no perfect way—there are only ways…
Things to consider…
Do some research! Somewhere out there is an LMS that will more than likely meet your needs and will fit within your budget—or, in many cases, without a budget! Find out what learning management systems area schools are using and visit these schools. Talk with teachers and the IT departments.
Look beyond the horizon. Things are evolving fast in the field of online learning. Some platforms include gamification that allows users to create game-based learning—and even virtual reality games designed to teach content. If this is something you believe holds promise (and studies prove it does), then I would lean in the direction of an LMS that has or is planning to introduce these features—but not if the platform does not also meet your mist immediate needs.
Involve teachers. Involve your teachers—and once again, involve your teachers. Teachers are the ones who will be most immersed in whatever LMS your school chooses. Every LMS allows for free trials to test out and experiment with a specific LMS. The LMS you ultimately choose should be introduced by teachers with real-life experience using that LMS. Without the support and buy-in of invested teachers, you run the risk of losing the LMS game at the start. Adoption by teachers will be slow; frustrations will mount; and the students will be saddled with unequal experiences between teachers doing real cool things and others who use the LMS in its most limited fashion.
My LMS story…
I can say with certainty right off the bat that it is nigh about impossible to fairly state what is best among the literally hundreds of options.
But I know a few that work really, really well and have proven invaluable for many schools—and they are standing the test of time
My own journey began with the now defunct Lore.com (bought out by Noodle) and is now a “a movie studio for creatives.” Go figure. But it was certainly a lesson in choosing an LMS that was not in it for the long haul. Lesson learned. My faith, however, in the power of online learning management systems remained unshaken. My next venture was to try Edmodo.com . My experience was transforming. It did what it claimed it could do—and it did a LOT. I was suddenly connected with thousands of other teachers. I shared my curriculum and I borrowed even more from other teachers. My students loved it and I loved it. It was new and exciting and powerful to be connected with a vibrant community of educators using a truly mature LMS.
But within my school, I was the lone user. At the time (some ten years ago) Edmodo didn’t integrate easily with the infrastructure of a single school, and I desperately wanted a platform that could do this. I wanted an LMS platform that my school would or could embrace on an institutional level. So I switched over to Schoology.com and used their free version, which is available for individual teachers. It too was awesome, and I even coerced a number of colleagues to try it—and they thought it was awesome, too! And it was—and still is. We got used to the platform, and I thought Schoology was a shoe-in. My school will love it…
Ultimately, it wasn’t meant to be. It did, however, push our school in the direction of adopting a school-wide learning management system, and ultimately we began using a new system. Finalsite, which did integrate fully into our school’s website, which is hosted by Finalsite’s Content Management System, which is a great CMS.. The major problem was, and still is, that the Finalsite LMS is relatively new to the LMS game. The bugs were always there—and still are. Things were never as easy as with Edmodo or Schoology. There wasn’t (and still isn’t) a mobile app for the LMS, and we are an iPad-based school. It is a good and responsive company, and the LMS is certainly maturing in good ways, but it is not as dynamic or stable as other time-tested platforms, and the depth and breadth my experience with Finalsite does not match what I experienced using Schoology or Edmodo.
My next solution was to try iTunes U, which is a dedicated LMS app designed specifically for the iPad. It really is drop-dead simple, and it utilizes the power of the iPad to create engaging assignments using virtually any app available. Again, my students loved it. Assignments were easy to access and submit; grading and feedback was a breeze—and it was all so simple and obvious. I was able to create interactive textbooks in iBooks Author to share with my classes, and everything for my students was just a single click away. I still use iTunes U when teaching my outside writing courses, but it is not really a full-fledged LMS, nor does it claim to be. It still required my grades to be inputted into my school’s database—and I still needed to post my assignments in Finalsite, which made it difficult for students to know for certainty which site had the final say, so VERY reluctantly I stopped using iTunes U in my classes. Apple recently released an all encompassing LMS called Schoolwork, which “looks” pretty amazing (if you are an iPad school). I am eager to try it, but for now it must be set up and maintained on an institutional basis—and I am not sure if that is in the cards. My ultimate LMS fate is somewhat out of my hands, but maybe not out of yours.
If (the big if) I am asked what direction a school should go, I would start with some of these proven learning management systems. They work well. They do what they say they do, and most all of them are already in use by many thousands of schools.
The Top Ten…
With some trepidation and recognition of my gaps of igonornace, here are my Top-Ten Learning Management Systems, in no particular order.
- Schoology: A great LMS in every way. Its free version is a great way to get teachers started, and its paid version integrates well with existing school support systems. It has excellent apps for phone and tablets, and it works seamlessly with Google Docs, Word or Pages. I have more experience with Schoology than with the rest of the top-ten, so I am probably a bit biased.
- Edmodo: The original “free” LMS. Still is. Super simple, too. Just sign up, create your course and get started. It’s Facebook-like interface was once an advantage, but now seems a bit dated. The downside to free is that Edmodo is not as simple to employ as a school-wide LMS.
- Canvas: Schools that use Canvas seem to love Canvas—and thousands of schools use Canvas. It is mobile learning enabled and works with every device out there. It is constantly evolving and improving; it is highly customizable, and it integrates well with a schools administrative needs.
- Brightspace: This is where a closed mouth gathers no feet. As I write this, I realize that I don’t know enough about Brightspace (D2L Learning) to write about it with true conviction—It’s just that I keep hearing about Brightspace, and more and more schools are using this seemingly great LMS. It has a nifty, good looking interface, a wide range of features, excellent reviews and a large user-base.
- Blackbaud: For many years, Blackbaud was the industry standard, and in many ways, it still is. It can pretty much power every aspect of a school’s digital footprint—including a seamlessly integrated LMS, and it has seemingly every feature known to man. The learning curve for teacher and student use is pretty steep, but worth it in the end. It is an excellent choice for a school committed to using one of the best LMS’s money can buy. It touts itself as “mobile friendly” but does not, as yet, have dedicated mobile apps.
- Powerschool:Powerschool was originally owned by Pearson, and later Apple and then sold to Powerschool for some 350 million dollars, so there are some deep roots with this system. Their eponymous LMS (formerly known as Haiku) has the same firepower of Blackbaud and a stated user base of twenty million—yes twenty million users, (yikes!) but it is also situated more firmly in the K-12 range, and it has excellent mobile apps—even, so they say, for an Apple Watch. It has the tools to “power” every aspect of school administration as an SIS (Student Information System), a robust LMS and true staying power. The upside is that it does everything any school can possibly need. The downside is that it feels like you need to be all in or not in.
- Apple Schoolwork: Ironically, Apple—who pioneered devices for use in education, has been a latecomer to the world of learning management systems, but now seems hellbent on atoning for their lackadaisical response to the evolving needs of schools. Schoolwork is their first real step into the world of learning management. I would argue that Schoolwork is more of a classroom management platform. Teachers in iPad schools who use Schoolwork, love it, and if your school is an iPad school, it is certainly worth a try.. It is simple to set up and use; it fully leverages the possibilities of iPads; its interface is easy to navigate and use right out of the FREE box, and it also allows an individual teacher to view and control student use of iPads in the classroom. Plus, in Apple’s inimitable way, it has a zen-like beauty in use, so teachers and students take to it in intuitive and confident ways.
- iTunes U: iTunes U is used by many colleges as platforms for course content. Entire courses from prestigious can be accessed for free and is an amazing first step to universalizing the ability to create global education opportunities. This is still my go-to app for creating courses. My fear, especially with the big push by Apple for Schoolwork is “where is iTunes U going?” Will iTunes U be around two years from now? One year from now? Please, Apple: I know you are a secretive company, but give us a bit more clarity—or at least update it every now and then. Yet I shan’t complain. iTunes U has never let me down, and there is something freeing about creating courses outside of a traditional LMS. Sometimes simple is a lot better, and Apple has a cool way of keeping things simple and comprehensive in the same breath. Biggest problem: it only works for students on an iPad and, in a more limited way, on iPhones, though courses and course-work can be created on Mac computers and laptops.
- Google Classroom: Whatever my personal feelings about Google and the value of privacy, they do create great products—and Googlr realized, long before Apple, the need for an affordable and easy-to-use LMS—and Google Classroom is the real deal of the century. The upside is it’s free, full featured, and it is seemingly a no-brainer for a Chromebook school. The downside? It’s Google. They are in the business of mining data and selling information, and I have never been fully comfortable training students to be Google’s future merchandise, but millions of satisfied users seem to disagree with my curmudgeonly sentiment.
- Moodle: Moodle is like the Wikipedia of learning management systems. It is open source (hence free) and was developed and continues to evolve and perfect itself via the work of an extensive army of volunteers. It is a pretty cool concept, and it has proven itself in thousands of schools and universities to be a robust and dynamic LMS. It is not, however, for the faint of heart nor for the digitally challenged.
Final thoughts…
Yes, I know too well my limitations.
I know there are many other great LMS options out there that are pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
The Adobe Creative Suite for Education is one of them. It is an an amazing collection of Adobe programs and apps that enables truly dynamic and innovative content to be created by invested teachers. The possibilities are almost limitless, but as a teacher I simply have not found the time—nor the funds—to explore these possibilities with any lasting stamina. Edsby.com is another in an ever-expanding list of new LMS’s that is receiving wide praise—and another LMS that I know too little about to speak of with any authority. No list, too, should be complete without mentioning Blackboard.com. It has been around a long time, and probably for good reason! I just don’t know the reasons.
And there are so many more…
Once again: look beyond the horizon. Don’t dwell on your current needs—set your sights on what is possible. Embrace the moment and look with clarity at what the future might hold and choose an LMS that can take you there. Just today, I sat with Welles Hatch, the brainchild behind Door94.com, and I was amazed by his vision for what the future can be for LMS’s and the importance of statistical analysis to power more valid outcomes and his belief that the student/parent experience is paramount. My lesson learned: I am still a babe in the woods in a forest of innovations. There are people out there pushing the envelope.
My dabbling and pontificating here (for now) is done. If anything I have written has sparked your interest, check out this site for more detailed reviews of a number of other compelling learning management systems—and work from there. In the end, where you stand is where you sit, and the final choice will probably require compromises with your school and your vision for what is possible. What is compelling to me often loses its luster with the folks who make the big decisions, but if you believe in something, fight for it, and a good LMS is worth fighting for and worth having for your school.
Thanks for reading.
John Fitzsimmons
978-793-1553
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