Navigate 2 - LMS Trends

 Research trends in digital learning and select the trend that will make the most impact on digital learning over the next five years.  

According to Craig Weiss there are great new trends in store for digital learning.  these include curating content, mobile video, bigData and Little Data, personalized learning experience, and Deep learning ( also called predictive analysis). Other trends explored were gamification and badging. 

Which trend did you select? 

The trend I think that will make the most impact on digital learning is the mobile video.  According to the blog by Weiss LMS are going to have the ability to do things with the mobile device once it is uploaded.  I feel this will have a great impact because people use mobile devices so much and being able to upload videos will lead to sharing experiences in fast way.  

How do you foresee this trend impacting online learning?

 I feel this trend will increase the number of videos that can be shared with students by teachers.   Online students may also be able to share videos with the instructors.  Videos are generally easy to record on a mobile device and then can be shared with the class during a session or achieved for latter use. 

Will this trend be a learning fad or will it become an essential part of online learning in the future? Explain.

I believe that this trend will be here to stay.  More and more mobile devices are being relied upon in the many areas.  This will be a easy way for students to have access to information.  They will be able to use it when they desire and it will allow them to share information with each other.  Virtual tools maximize student learning and students enjoy using them.  

Navigate 2 - Tools for Deciding on an LMS

I explored some of the Learning Management Systems (LMS) shown above.

Which LMS is best? How does the selected LMS meet the needs of all stakeholders, including administrators, students, teachers and faculty, instructional technology, development, support, and parents? 

All of the LMSs which I explored had a lot of the same features, however the one I chose to call best is Edmodo.  Edmodo is a free LMS with no restrictions on the number of students in a group.  It provides a secure classroom environment in which the teacher can manage.   The teacher can delete inappropriate posts from students and the student posts can be seen by teachers as well as parents.  it is user-friendly and the Edmodo LMS has guide videos and support staff.  Teachers can post text,  polls, videos, links, quizzes and assignments.  

How does the selected LMS align with the initiatives, growth, and technological needs of your organization?

Edmodo helps with saving paper because so much can be done within the system.  Student work assignments can be submitted online. Student assignments are also posted online and this helps to save money.  Each year my organization is given a limited amount of paper and a limited amount of copy privileges.  It is mobile friendly which helps engage students and encourage them to use their technology.  Edmodo can also be useful for students who need remediation or tutoring and those who need to enrichment, making it a great LMS for differentiation. 

Navigate 2: Roles: Learning Management System and Student Information System

This is a artifact which highlights the various roles in a learning management system (LMS). 

Navigate 1 - Screen Capture

In the artifact below I created a screen capture sample lesson using screencast-o-matic.  During this sample lesson, I am explaining the concept of recording and reporting in healthcare. 

 How does screen capture function in the online classroom? 

Screen capture allows teachers to capture and archive lectures and have them accessible to students when students need them.  Screen capture plays a big part in asynchronous learning by allowing a student to view the content of a lesson as often as needed.  Teachers can use screen capture to explain a concept better or  demonstrate a process.  The student is able to work as slow or as fast as they would like when learning the concept using the screen capture.  

How would the integration of screen capture modify teaching methods?

The integration of screen capture would modify teaching methods for teachers and students.  When teaching using screen capture the student is not there to ask questions and this requires that the teacher anticipate questions the students may have.  When this is done, the teacher can include answers to questions the students may have.  The screen capture allows students to work at their on pace.  they can take their time and master concepts.  They can pause, review, and replay portions they may not understand.  Unlike recordings, they don't have distractions of other students.  

Navigate 1 - Synchronous Vendor Market

What synchronous vendor application/tool did you select? 

I selected the synchronous vendor application BigBlueButton.  This vendor application enables instructors to share audio, slides, chat, video and desktop with students.  It even has a built-in polling system which can help students to interact and remain engaged.  It also has the function to record.  I was able to log in easily using my google account. Once logged in I could set up the meeting by typing in the name of the meeting.  I am given a link to share with others to invite them to the meeting by copying the URL or by an email invitation.  

Using the application, what did you experience using the synchronous learning tool? 

Was the task easy? Challenging? 

My experience using the leaning tool was mostly positive.  The site has tutorial videos which show how to use the features.  These videos explain step by step what to do.  The task of logging in and starting the meeting was fairly easy.  Also using the microphone was not a problem.  Using the chat features also came easy.  One can chat with the group or chat with one particular person.  The part I found most changeling was playing back the recorded session.  The system has a feature to record the meeting and this can be done by pressing the record button on the top left side of the session, however it was a challenge for me to figure out how to review the recorded lesson.  

Did the process present problems? 

Again, recording itself was not a problem.  It would say  start recording and then ask are you sure.  I would say yes and then record, after which I hit the record button again to stop.  It would ask, are you sure you want to stop the recording and I would say yes.  I feel that if I continue to work with this, it will become easier and I will be able to view the recorded session.  As I was working on this question, I stopped to check my email and BigBlueButton has emailed me the link to the recording.  I am very impressed with this, I can now listen to the recorded session and even share the link.  So, problem solved. 

Overall, I was extremely impressed with this site.  It reminded me a lot of the blackboard collaborate which my instructor used when I was obtaining my healthcare science teacher certification.  We would meet once a week and if we missed the session we could go in and listen to the recording.  We could raise our hands to answer questions and she would often conduct polls.  Also, she would place us in breakout groups and even come and check on each group during our classes.  

Navigate 1 - Commercial vs. Open Source Virtual Classrooms

Synchronous learning takes place when instructors and students are online interacting together in real time.  In a virtual classroom, synchronous learning is the time when the student is able to ask a question or make a comment and get immediate feedback from the instructor. There are open source and commercial software that can be used with synchronous learning.

When would an open source application take precedence over a commercial product?

Open sources tend to be free and have less tech support, however Google + Hangout is a free commercial software. When working with students who are not in the workforce, they may not be able to afford a commercial product and the Open Source may work best for them. Open Sources are often cheap or free, yet very reliable.  They are commonly created by people who enjoy their work.  Some of the disadvantages of Open Source is that many people have access to them and the lack of tech support.  Commercial  software such as Adobe, Cisco Webex, Blackboard Collaborate, and GoToMeeting all have free trails or promotions. The commercial software may limit the number of users.  When using a commercial software everyone must be able to afford the software.  When this is the case, the open source application maybe the best choice and may take precedence over a commercial product.

What are the issues when choosing between Open Source vs. Commercial Software?

Commercial software are offered to educational institutions for a set fee. Commercial software normally have good customer service and is kept up to date.  They also are able to provide security form viruses. When choosing an Open source product instead the issue of technical support comes up.  When choosing an open resource package the technology support may not be as efficient as  with a commercial resource. It may require an in-house Information Technology department to find and fix problems which may come occur over continued usage and time.   Also, there is the issue of an open resource being discontinued because of financial problems.  

Navigate 1 - Delineating Asynchronous and Synchronous Learning

This is a digital resource which explains the difference between asynchronous learning and synchronous learning.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1u2lCB7I8LHfzYl2VZ4DBL1SaD5AezU64-PVt1hVG2Zw/edit?usp=sharing