Week 6 Blog

Learning a Learning Management System (LMS) can be challenging.  In my current role, I take the official stance of the district and do not prefer and LMS.  The total of my experience with any LMS has been through UNT’s program.  During my two years in the program, I have used Blackboard and Canvas from the student side.  Both have their advantages and disadvantages but they seem rather strong. 
Learning to use an LMS is a challenging task.  You have to really think inside the flow of the LMS to set up your course for your learners to follow easily.  I am accustomed to working in an online learning system but nothing that really organizes your content like a LMS.  I really enjoy the different and the organization of a LMS.  It helps to organize the information in a better way than just using a website to give the student their assignments.  From an instructor point of view, it helps in designing the course because there are distinct modules.  This allows the course designer to set up distinct learning breaks.  These breaks can serve any function that you want them to service but the distinct breaks are there. 
This has also been a challenge.  It seems that each module is not complete even when I add all of the information that I need.  They feel like I am not allowing the student to complete the module with all of the information they need.  This is where the course evaluation can help to develop the course.  I can use the learners that complete my course to help refine it.  A good designer is never done with their course.  They are always looking to change things that need to be changed to better help their students.  This is a process that I am not familiar with this process but it is the way to create a good course.