Learning Management Systems versus Personal Learning Environments

Today we will touch upon learning management systems and personal learning environments. 

A learning management system (LMS) is a software application that allows instructors to create, deliver and manage online course content. It provides learners online classrooms where they can interact and learn in a collaborative environment. Instructors can upload course material to be used by the students, track progress of their learners by assessing assignments. Grading is automated and, thus, reduces paper work and saves teacher time. LMSs have interactive features such as discussion forums, chat rooms, video conferencing. These give the students the opportunity to interact and build knowledge as a team. 

Two of the most famous learning management systems are Blackboard and Moodle. I am familiar with Moodle as the institution where I currently study uses this learning management system to deliver and assess course content. As a student, i am quite pleased with the features Moodle has. It is quite user-friendly if content is organized properly by the instructor. Now that I'm using Moodle as a student, I can't imagine my learning or further teaching without the help of such a system. I also explored Moodle a little from the perspective of an instructor. At first it seems a bit confusing and your "old" self confronts it, but it all goes away after tinkering a bit and watching Youtube tutorials. It is a pity that the majority of Armenian higher educational institutions, if not all, do not have such online learning management systems. 

In contrast to learning management systems, personal learning environments (PLE) are systems that help learners take control of their own learning. As Stephen Downes mentions rightfully, in PLE individuals are at the center and can access different software based on their own choice. The collaboration format in PLE is different in that individuals are connected to each other instead of LMSs. In this case, learners who do not have access to any LMS are not left out. A drawback of LMS compared to PLE is that once you leave it, your data stays there. To further understand the difference between the two systems, have a look at this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9zSd5Gs6Mw. 

In reality LMSs and PLEs cannot replace each other. Rather, they can complement each other. For instance, if I teach a course to students from the same school or university, I will probably prefer to use a learning management system. If I had a larger and to some degree unknown intended audience, I would give my preference to using a PLE. 

A very useful example of an LMS is Edmondo where you can create a virtual group, invite potential members to the group and deliver content. It is free (in contrast to Moodle) and anybody can create an account there and deliver his or her course content. 

Another tool is Twiducate which is more inclined towards being a PLE. It is a social networking program for schools. Actually it is the Twitter for education which gives students the opportunity to learn outside of school by participating in teacher-initiated discussions, exploring bookmarks shared by the teacher. 

In a nutshell, these systems are really invaluable for making education more approachable and motivating for our students who represent the digital generation.