E-learning

A Learning Management System (LMS) is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content, they range from systems for managing training and educational records, to software for distributing courses over the Internet with features for online collaboration.  Corporate organizations use LMSs to manage training and automate employee registration. Student self service (e.g., user notification, manager approval, wait-list management), the provision of on-line learning (e.g., Computer Based Training, read & understand), online assessment, management of continuous professional education (CPE), collaborative learning (e.g., application sharing, discussion threads), and training resource management are dimensions to Learning Management Systems.

Why E-Learning

Institutes of higher education rely upon Learning Management Systems (LMSs) to support quality education delivery in face-to-face, online and hybrid classroom environments. The core components of this essential academic computing software enable faculty to design and manage course content, as well as assess and track student progress.

The growth in Web-enabled collaboration and communication technologies has produced the next generation of Learning Management System – to replace old-school commercial applications and this has become the new standard for e-learning. When seamlessly integrated with our total campus portals, FT LMS provides one-stop course management and communication for any University that runs a distance learning programme. This innovative approach to learning management promotes the achievement of distance learning educational goals of a University through enhanced student-faculty engagement, interaction, communication and collaboration.

In Nigeria today, some Universities have gone ahead to implement learning management systems in hurry and migrating to a new learning management system (LMS) has been likened to breaking into faculty classrooms, throwing their course materials into a moving van, and dumping them in a heap at the new location – leaving the faculty to sort and reorganize their course content long after IT support has driven off.

This painful process can be averted by assessing faculty needs and expectations, and selecting a solution that supports seamless content migration and intuitive course management. This is very, very important and has given us an hedge in the University Of Lagos where we have made joint presentation severally.

The LMSs is populated by more than 140 vendors whose mission is to support best practices in the preferred pedagogical approach of colleges and universities. The proliferation of academic computing solutions has cluttered the market with applications that are bloated with extraneous features. Too often, institutions are lured into the trap of deploying an LMS that is the current favourite, widely used, nationally and internationally popular, only to realize that these applications are too unwieldy and burdensome to use. In fact, nearly 24 percent of schools with LMS deployments experience buyers’ remorse and would change systems if they could, according to a 2007 study by Bershin and Associates. This means there is a huge market for e-learning application in Nigeria and we intend to partner with Intercontinental Bank Plc in that regard.

Common purchasing mistakes we have identified among category of schools in Nigeria include failing to define system requirements, focusing on price rather than value, overlooking interoperability and scalability, and selecting customization instead of configuration. An LMS is too important investment to make without careful consideration of how it will help faculty achieve the institution’s educational goals and objectives.
Before we approached some of these Universities with FT Learning Management System we indeed reviewed the distance learning activities of these great institutions and we came to the conclusion that these institutions that had been most prominent schools of higher learning in Nigeria will require:

  • A Learning Management System that provides a platform for all Distance Learning Institute (DLI) course development work.
    A Learning Management System that can track student learning progress and the identity of the student undertaking the University Distance Learning programmes.
  • A Learning Management System that can automatically tests students to see if knowledge transfer is really occurring.
  • A secure Learning Management System that can protects private training resources, such as procedure and policy manuals and other sensitive files.
  • A Learning Management System that can retain records and monitors learners' progress, allowing the institution to measure whether adequate learning information are been delivered according to the school curriculum and according to the standard of the University and as required by the National University Commission.
  • A modern Learning Management Systems that support interactivity and multimedia, making learning more effective and interesting for the students undertaking the University Distance Learning Programmes.
  • A Learning Management System that will enable students of the Distance Learning Institute to study conveniently online in view and within the limitation of our internet infrastructure and available resources in Nigeria and beyond to save cost when compared to the increased travel required for classroom teaching.
  • A Learning Management System that can provide measurable results, where classroom training might not.
  • A Learning Management System that can prevent plagiarism in view of the vast amount of information available on the Internet and in view of the fact that lectures are been delivered through internet medium.
  • A properly-maintained Learning Management System that will cost very little to maintain and to operate.
  • A quite simple and a good Learning Management System that can leverage the knowledge of a few individuals and distribute it efficiently to a large number of prospective students, prospective organizations partnering in training with the School Distance Learning Institute and their affiliated schools.

 

Questions to be answered before implementation;

  • Whether the Learning Management System can be implemented quickly and easily, without heavy programming.
  • Whether the system have a robust feature set, or is it really a collection of documents for online viewing only.
  • Whether the system can support multimedia files such as Flash, streaming video, and audio narrations.
  • Whether it is truly a web native solution, using open standards like HTML, SQL, and HTTP.
  • Whether the Learning Management System have everything needed to build in, or we need to buy external authoring or reporting tools.
  • Whether the product is widely accepted in a variety of industries or it is a limited niche product. Whether it is easy to use and intuitive to navigate.
  • Whether the Learning Management System can support instructor-led training, self-paced automated learning, as well as classroom (off-system) teaching.
  • Whether the Learning Management System can easily support Skill Groups or certifications, so you can track learners' progress toward a defined goal and prevent plagiarism.
  • Whether the Learning Management System can seamlessly pull together content from various sources and formats.
  • Whether the Learning Management System come with source code, in case we need to customize and/or make modifications at some point.
  • Whether the Learning Management System has feature for identity control and can easily ascertain who is really learning.
  • Successful implementation hinges on core capabilities enumerated below:

Ease of migrating existing course content from manual/old to new LMS
Ease of importing/exporting multi-media course content, including publisher packs
Ease of developing content once and deliver it in multiple courses simultaneously
Ease of tracking student activity online and in classrooms to see who’s doing what and when.
Ease of assessing individual and group progress against course goals and objectives
Ease of collaborating online one-to-one, as a group or in a sub-group

After thorough review and due considerations of the above issues our team recommended JOOMLALMS a customizable E-LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM from Belarus Minsk as our proposed solution to Universities in Nigeria. The JOOMLALMS has been customized to becoming the FT LMS which contained our in built eduportal and school management system so that a higher institution of learning can have one all encompassing solution to manage learning, perform administrative tasks and uses the platform also for information dissemination as often as needed. FT-LMS is a comprehensive solution for management of educational curruculm in schools. Please find attached report on further review carried out on implementable LMSs by Fountain Of Love Systems.  

FTLMS Features

    • Advanced User Management: This includes self-registration and enrolment options. Customizable user profiles using standalone FTLMS components. It provides support for CSV (file) format especially when uploading user’s lists.
    • Different user roles: Different levels for administrators and Front-End users. Navigation menu can be easily customized for different user roles.
    • Payment features. Change course pricing at any time; Choose currency; Different payment gateways; Automatic payment status validation; Payment statistics.
    • Quiz module. Create advanced quizzes with many advanced options. Track the quiz results; Pick the questions from the Questions Pool for any quiz.
    • Integrated Live Conferencing with Collaboration Whiteboard. Recording and later viewing of the live events.
    • Adherence to standards. FTLMS supports the latest e-learning standards such as SCORM, etc.
    • Flexible Course Management. Import and export your courses; Publish Courses for any period; Configure tools for each Course; Grant teacher role for any selected user for specified Course(s).
    • Courses Subscriptions. Earn money from your e-learning project. FT LMS supports paid courses and can use different types of subscriptions.
    • Online help and tutorials. Permanently updated help and video tutorials that will save your time & effort.
    • Reporting and tracking system. Activity reports for each student are available with graphs and details about each module.
    • Learning Path. Powerful and customizable native learning paths with all kind of embedded media and built-in Quizzes. Import SCORM packages or any existing Course material.
    • Certification programs. Teachers can create customizable certificates/diplomas for students of the course. Grant certificates by completion of the Course or completion of the built-in Quizzes.
    • Multiple Instructors per Course. Any number of instructors can teach a course which provides more convenient course management and added flexibility.
    • Student/Teacher toggle modes. Instructors can toggle to the student view enabling them to see Course material from the learner’s perspective.
    • Documents tool. Upload and publish any type of documents; use uploaded documents as Learning Path Steps. Shared Document Library to manage the documents bank.
    • Groupware tools such as discussion forum, chat, etc.