Content management systems (CMS), are software which is mainly used in order to facilitate .... solutions, comments and explanations can be shown. (2) Course.
Technology platforms in distance learning: Functions, characteristics and selection criteria for use in higher education Rocío FERNÁNDEZ Universidad Católica de Valencia Valencia, Spain Ignacio GIL Department of Management. Universidad Politécnica de Valencia Valencia, Spain Daniel PALACIOS Department of Management. Universidad Politécnica de Valencia Castellón, Spain and Carlos DEVECE Department of Management. Universidad Politécnica de Valencia Valencia, Spain
ABSTRACT In the space of only a few years, e-learning platforms have managed to achieve universal presence in higher education centres. As well as changing strictly distance learning, e-learning has begun to play a major role in classroom learning, giving rise to new learning typologies such as the partial-classroom learning “Blended Learning”. Technological advances have, without a doubt, triggered this change and although research into methodologies and learning in this new environment still has a long way to go, e-learning platforms have reached a sufficient degree of maturity and standardization regarding their functions and tools. This article is dedicated to analysing e-learning platforms as a technological element necessary in any Virtual Training Environment (VTE) system. In it the following are studied: different platform types and their main tools, minimum requirements an institution needs to take into account when selecting a particular platform, as well as its advantages and drawbacks. Finally, the article carries out a brief review of some of the existing and better-known platforms within educational environments.
Keywords: e-learning, technology platforms, higher education, virtual training environment, integrated learning platforms
1.
INTRODUCTION
Virtual Training Environments are present in all Universities. Not only have they revolutionised distance learning, yet they already make up a substantial part of classroom learning. Elearning platforms are the technical element that has facilitated this development. These platforms are the main element of any
VTE system. They include tools to facilitate learning, communication and collaboration; course management tools; and tools for designing the user’s interface [1]. Even though creating materials for the Web is relatively easier, more flexible and less expensive, developing programmes for other environments, elaborating and managing online didactic courses or modules continues to be an activity that requires a great deal of effort. From the mid-nineties onwards, integrated platforms started to spread with the objective of facilitating the online courses creation and reducing costs [2]. They are also known as Virtual Platforms or Integrated Learning Environments [3]. The use of an Integrated Virtual Platform allows complete courses for the Web to be created and managed without the need of indepth knowledge about programming or graphic design. They are also known as Distance-Learning Telematic Systems or Learning Management Platforms (Learning Management Systems-LMS). In each case they are integrated tools which are used for creating, managing and distributing formative activities via the Web ie: they are applications which facilitate the creation of teaching-learning environments, integrating didactic materials and communication, collaboration and educational management tools. According to Bri et al. [4] e-learning platforms can be defined as “the hardware and software environment designed to automate and manage development academic formation activities. The software must administer, distribute and check activities for face-to-face formation or e-learning in an organization. The main functions are: manage and register users, resources and formation activities, access check, control and monitoring learning process, doing evaluation, informs and managing communication services.” It is a technological response that integrates different management tools, facilitating learning
development, distributed using information of a very diverse nature. Different conceptualizations as to what e-learning platforms or learning management systems (LMS) are could be formulated emphasizing theoretical, technical or formal aspects to a greater or lesser extent. However, by rejecting this type of approach and accepting the common element in technical means, an e-learning platform, or a learning management system in the network, is a computing and telematic tool, organized in accordance with some formative objectives of integral form and of some psychopedagogical and organizational intervention principles. In short, eLearning platforms are the server software which is mainly in charge of user management, management of courses and communication services, providing the eLearning scene with its necessary support [5][6]. This definition of e-learning platform needs to be widely developed regarding the multiplex components and characteristics that can be brought together. Whilst still evolving, e-learning platforms have reached a certain standardization of functions and tools. The objective of this article is to answer questions as to what basic characteristics (both technical and functional) e-learning platforms should have and what the criteria for selecting a e-learning platform are, in particular in the case of university and higher education. The article’s structure follows the order of these questions. In the first place, and in general, the basic characteristics of e-learning platforms are considered, in order to then revise their historical evolution. Afterwards, the tools which they should rely on, are listed. Finally, having analysed advantages and drawbacks, selection criteria are established according to higher education needs and final conclusions are discussed.
2.
BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF E-LEARNING PLATFORMS
There are four basic and essential characteristics that any platform should have [5][6]. The first is Interactivity: ensuring that the person using the platform is conscious of playing the leading role in his or her training. The second is Flexibility, defined as the set of functionalities that allow the eLearning system to be easily adapted into the organization wishing to implement it. This adaptation must address different levels, such as adaptability to the institution’s structure. It must also allow for adaptation to the study plans of the institution wishing to implement the system and also to the content and pedagogical styles of the organization. The third characteristic is scalability, allowing the platform to function equally with a small or large number of users. The last is standardization or the capacity to use courses carried out by a third party. In this way courses are available for the organization that has created them and for others that comply with the standard. The durability of courses is also guaranteed, avoiding them becoming obsolete and last of all a follow-up of students’ behaviour throughout the course can be carried out. An essential part of e-learning platforms is that they must make remote access possible for both teachers and students in any given moment and from any place with connection to Internet or networks with TCP/IP protocol. For this, a browser is used, allowing users to access information via standard browsers and using http communication protocol.
3.
EVOLUTION OF E-LEARNING PLATFORMS
The origin of Web-based eLearning platforms, is due to a specialization of content management systems (CMS), in systems oriented to content management for distance learning [7]. Content management systems (CMS), are software which is mainly used in order to facilitate web management, whether that be Internet or Intranet. However in the case of Distance Learning or eLearning, the application of these CMS systems is not focused on the Web, but on educational content (resources, documents, evaluation tests…). In these cases there are some specific needs that a general CMS does not always cover, or if it does, it does not provide the same facilities as a tool created for this function. In recent years, CMSs have progressed in evolutionary stages. First Stage: CMS - Content Management Systems are in the most basic e-learning platforms and allow dynamic websites to be generated. The objective of these programmes is the creation and management of online information (texts, images, graphics, videos, sounds, etc.) Second Stage: LMS - Learning Management Systems come from CMSs and provide an environment which makes Web updating, maintenance and amplification possible with the collaboration of multiple users. Third Stage: LCMS -Learning Content Management Systems are platforms that integrate CMS and LMS functionalities, incorporate content management in order to personalise resources for each student and where companies become their own editing entity, with self-sufficiency in content publication, in a simple, quick and efficient manner, solving problems from previous platforms. LCMSs add knowledge management techniques to the LMS model in structured and designed environments so that organizations can implement their processes and practices better, with the support of online courses, materials and content. Finally, a LCMS is normally linked to a LMS (platform) or can integrate its applications, as can be seen in the following schematic diagram (Figure 1):
Figure 1: Schematic diagram of LMS and LCMS integration (adapted from [8]) Teacher Students s LCMS
LMS
Central repository Interactivity
Authorin g tools
Learning objects
Instructional
System
designers
administrators
4.
Courses Course management
E-LEARNING PLATFORM TOOLS
A good way to conceptualize e-learning platforms is to pay attention to the functions they carry out. Current e-learning platforms offer many functionalities via their numerous tools,
which can be grouped in the following manner: (1) Learningoriented tools, (2) Productivity-oriented tools, (3) Tools for involving students, (4) Support tools, (5) Tools dedicated to publishing courses and content, (6) Knowledge management systems in the area of education [9]. Within learning-oriented tools the following stand out (1) discussion forums, tools that allow messages to be exchanged during the time the course lasts (or that the course-trainer estimates). Forums can be organised chronologically, by categories or by conversation topics (threads) and can allow or not for files to be attached to the message. Besides forums the following must exist: (2) synchronous communication tools for exchanging instantaneous messages among participants (Chat, Videoconference), and (3) asynchronous communication tools for exchanging mails and messages both on the course as well as using external mail addresses (Electronic mails, messaging) [10]. Another similar modality would be (4) blogs, a tool that enables students and teachers to make notes in a diary (edublogs), whether they be subject blogs or personal blogs of the students to whom they provide support and follow-up. We would also include in this section (5) Wikis, tools which facilitate the development of online documents in a collaborative manner. Within learning-oriented tools we would also find (6) E-portfolios or digital portfolios, tools which allow students to receive educational follow-up, having access to work done in their formative activities. In the category of productivity-oriented tools, all those which provide the student with follow-up of activities and work would be included. The following stand out (1) bookmarks, which enable the student to return easily to the website previously visited whether it be that of the course or not and (2) calendar and review of progress which makes time planning easier, as regards course activities. The following would also be included (3) helping to use the platform for orientation and helping participants to use the learning system (tutorials, manuals, online help…), (4) course search-engine to facilitate course selection and location indicating a search pattern, and (5) synchronization and off-line work mechanisms, where students have the possibility of working disconnected from the platform, once the course or part of it has been uploaded onto their computer. The following could also be included (6) control of publication, expired websites and broken links to allow web-sites to be published up to a specific date and not to leave them accessible once the publication period has expired; they also carry out checks to locate and correct the existence of links to inexistent pages. As concerns tools for involving students, typical utilities would be; (1) Work groups to organise a class in groups, so as to provide an area for each and everyone of them, where the teacher assigns tasks or corresponding projects, (2) selfassessment tools to practise or review online tests and be aware of their evaluations. These are normally not counted by the teacher, (3) lastly the following can be introduced into the system: a student corner or areas reserved for students (to display jobs and advertisements, see photographs, personal information, etc.) In support tools, tools for user authentication would be included: each with a user name and password to access the platform. This allows privileges to be allocated according to role. Each user type has different privileges (students, teacher, assistant, tutor, administrator, etc.), which facilitates audits described at the desired level of detail, allowing for all actions carried out by platform participants to be consulted as well as obtaining
statistics about use. Student register tools are usually also incorporated in such a way that student course enrolment can be carried out in different ways (self-enrolment, manual, database…). Within tools dedicated at publishing courses and content, the following would be included: (1) Test and automated results, which allow teachers to create, administer and evaluate finished tests. If the teachers wishes so, they can be self-corrected, and solutions, comments and explanations can be shown. (2) Course administration: these tools allow teachers to control class progression via course material. (3) Support to course creator to help and support them in administration of the following (forums, online help, electronic mail…). And finally, (4) student follow-up tools to provide additional analysis about the use made of course materials. Tools for designing study plans would be made up of: (1) Conformity with accessibility, to meet standards of access to online information for the disabled, (2) re-use and content sharing, given that content created on a course can be shared by other teachers, on another course and in another centre, (3) standard course templates to create the structure of an online course, (4) vitae administration, allowing students to be provided with a personalised CV, based on the prerequisites of the educational programme or activities, in previous work or test results, (5) environment personalization: this allows graphic appearance and the way courses are seen to be changed. In this way the institution’s image of these can be given. (6) Tools for education design help course creators to be able to do sequences of learning, templates or set-up assistance, and finally, (7) they ensure conformity with education design or standards (IMS, AICC, ADL) for sharing learning materials with other eLearning platforms. Finally, in knowledge management systems in the education area [11], the following would be included: (1) integral knowledge systems to provide both mechanisms of collaborative work, as well as internal organization of common knowledge memory. Normally they represent the structure of knowledge in a hierarchical form, the tree of knowledge. It can also be represented by way of hierarchical networks of nodes interconnected by relationships. The function of facilitating interaction and collaboration among users is normally carried out via forums or discussion groups, (2) Mediating information systems, whose main objective is to provide users with an interface in order to search for information (generally using the web) about a specific domain, where knowledge sources are heterogeneous and distributed, although it seems as if a centralised and homogeneous system were being used, (3) digital bookshops or repositories, assembly of communication technologies and digital storage of information to reproduce, emulate and extend the service provided by conventional bookshops. They can collect information from distributed sources and the user is allowed to build their own digital library, (4) systems based on ontology or systems where the domain structure is known a priori. For this reason they support automatic knowledge search systems and facilitate decisionmaking, applying an inference engine to ontologically structured databases.
Advantages and drawbacks of e-learning platforms It is evident that e-learning platforms, understood as technology (digital platforms included), are only a means and not an end in the education process (be it virtual or otherwise). The added
value is fundamentally teacher-student interaction. In spite of all the advances in technology, a personal relationship continues to be the basis and the most efficient method. A teacher is not a “talking head” that can be substituted by a computer. Many universities have the necessary investments, sufficient materials and institutional support but the most important factor for these virtual models to work is to change relationships between teachers and students so that they do not only meet in classrooms but also in the area reserved in these Virtual Training Environment systems. Let us go over the advantages and limitations found that elearning platforms offer the two most important variables that intervene in the virtual education process: teachers and students. The advantages would be [12][13][14]: They offer flexible and open learning, without limitations of space or time. Therefore rigid timetables and travel problems are avoided as well as improving access to information. They enable the teacher to incorporate new learning resources, to elaborate study materials, exams, to automate marking systems, to elaborate class assistance resources…., with greater ease and quality of presentation. Information can be digitalised and managed with relative ease and at reduced costs (cd-rom, dvd, external USB Memory, etc.). Teacher-student and student-student communication can improve with incorporated communication tools. Incorporating tools for student follow-up and evaluation. Constant updating of information is possible from teachers as well as students. Interaction with experts on any area is possible, without it mattering where they are (for example by means of videoconference). They promote collaborative work, in teaching as well as research. Work groups can be created with teams of people from different Universities, institutions or companies, who can be in different cities or countries. They allow research results to be published worldwide. Quicker knowledge circulation. In accordance with the aforementioned authors, we can summarise the limitations found in virtual platforms for teachers and students, as follows [14][15][16] [17]: Lack of preparation on behalf of teachers when using these platforms. Mention is made to teacher “technophobia” when faced with new technology. They need to make an effort to learn, given that the same structures from classroom courses cannot be transferred. They can also generate fears about new expectations and possibilities of integration in teaching. They generate exclusion in those that have no access or possibilities to access them (the digital divide increases). Teachers need to carry out the learning process with greater previous detail than with traditional methods. A greater time investment is needed (especially at the beginning) when preparing a virtual course. Problems that a student might come across must be anticipated. Elements that help him or her to overcome them must be available.
“Face to face” contact is lost. Technological relationships are “colder” meaning that personal social relationships are lost to a small extent. It can be difficult for teachers to motivate students to participate and to avoid students dropping out. Students must be mature, constant and responsible. They may prefer traditional methods in which they can play a more passive role. From what we have analysed, e-learning platforms constitute the technical base on which a Training Programme’s design and implementation is maintained and developed. Therefore it constitutes the main issue of VTE systems. These solutions provide students and Companies with greater accessibility as regards carrying out courses over the Internet, and in the same way, they facilitate programme development by the teachers. These tools are found in an increasingly wider market. Most have a commercial licence but free software ones that can be downloaded via the Internet also exist.
5.
REQUIREMENTS WHEN SELECTING A ELEARNING PLATFORM
We need to bear in mind that the conditions determining the adoption of a specific Platform depend on the characteristics of the educational environment in which it will be used. Web-based formative actions need to be developed in accordance with pursued objectives and need to work according to the expectations for which they are chosen. Choosing a e-Learning Platform will depend on many aspects [18]: number of users, characteristics of said users and their needs, types of courses to be given and their objectives, content to be taught and methodology to be used (more or less interactive) and type of evaluation to be used. The importance of each variable leads to choosing the most suitable Platform and at the same time concentrating on or emphasizing those aspects which most concern the Organization or University. Currently Virtual Platforms are being used to develop and teach four online course modalities, which are differentiated in their extent of Web use [19]. We can find totally developed courses, where the Web is used as the only means of presenting content, interaction and student evaluation. The second modality is the dependent course, where fundamental parts of the course are only available on the Web. The third modality is the supplementary course that uses the web as a means of circulating materials. Lastly, informative courses only use the web to present information about the course. Next we present some requirements that need to be taken into account when selecting a specific e-Learning Platform (table 1).
6.
CONCLUSION
Distance-learning systems have taken over from previous distance-training systems, achieving substantial improvements thanks to the advantage provided by Internet from powerful communication and informative channels: a great deal of information which is constantly growing, can be very easily stored and is accessible with unlimited communication possibilities.
Table 1: Requirements when selecting a eLearning Platform [20] 1 USERS Number Age Socio-cultural characteristics Skills or Internet use Educational needs 2 COURSE Type Number of students Course objectives Course content Course methodology Course evaluation 3 TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS Server Hardware or Software needs Hardware or Software needs for user Number of online users possible Security and access control Technological infrastructure needed by Platform Necessary technical knowledge Surfing via the platform Design strategies User licence contracting methods 4 MANAGEMENT OF FORMATIVE OFFER Management of courses on offer Management of student enrolment and cancellations 5 TEACHING/LEARNING PROCESS Teacher learning method Student learning method Type of content to be taught: Index of contents Glossary of terms Content search tool Content available in various formats Multimedia possibilities Possibility of consulting content off line Evaluation of Teaching/Learning process Initial evaluation Formative or continuous evaluation: tools for monitoring student activities, observation and follow-up tools, student self-evaluation tools. Final or summative evaluation: tests- multiple choice, connection, fill the gaps, short and open answer, etc. Student help system Course design tools for teachers Course management tools for teachers Communication tools Must facilitate communication and collaborative work between teachers and students. Asynchronous: Discussion forums, Distribution lists, Electronic mail, Tutorials, Notice boards, Calendar Synchronous: Shared electronic board, Chat, Audio Conference, Videoconference
Although we always need to bear in mind that e-learning goes far beyond its technological component and that we need to analyse and evaluate those learning, understand their demands, preferences and actions to understand electronic learning in its
entire dimension [16]. The choice of an appropriate e-learning platform is an essential previous condition. A e-learning Platform needs to resolve questions of heterogeneity in the wide sense of the word (Alkouz and ElSeoud 2007), ie: heterogeneity of the channel’s broadband in Internet/Intranet environments. When the design of an EVE/A (Teaching/Learning Virtual Environment) or an e-Learning Platform is approached, at least two different levels must be taken into account [21]: (1) User interface, considered independently at both a hardware and software level, taking into account the fact that users will basically be of three types; Teachers - Students – System administrators. (2) Teaching/Learning Module: All services required for optimum development of teaching-learning processes need to be able to be implemented in this environment. The possibilities and advantages that e-learning platforms offer e-learning are numerous. However, new difficulties and limitations need to be overcome in the learning process [22]. And merely incorporating ICTs into training does not guarantee effectiveness in results [23]. Given the selection of interactive means and resources and their incorporation in a global design of distance-leaning environment, they must be supported on the basis of a learning theory that both justifies and defines them. Already in 1997, reflecting on its experience of progressively incorporating Internet functionalities into a course at the University of Twente (Holland), Collis [24], concludes by saying that “technology is not important per se, but as a tool to specify an educational philosophy”. In this sense, the innovations that have been produced in the field of distance learning, do not consist so much of the presence of a new technology, rather than that of the review of the formative processes based on the latter.
7.
REFERENCES
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