This week, I started the Capstone Project thinking about the Learning Management System that I should consider for my minicourse. In the previous lessons, I could experience using different Authoring tools and creating some of the features.
Choice of features in the minicourse
Considering the interactive component of the minicourse, and thinking in my experience as the subject matter expert of the content and the materials already created, these are the features that will be present in the minicourse:
- Video-Lectures as a screencast of a presentation with a small window with a facilitator guiding the learner through the slides. This is a great feature to mimic an in-person facilitator. Knowing that the audience will be educators, in-person training used to be preferred by them.
- Interactive quizzes: At the end of each lesson, knowledge checks will be included as a strategy to make the learner accountable for their own progress. In addition, final tests will be included to assess the skills and knowledge learned as a summative assessment.
- Discussion forums will also be included in the minicourse as a strategy to collaborate with educators from a different school but in the same district. The learners will be posting one response and commenting at least two peers’ responses.
- Assignments and projects: In addition to the summative assessments (tests), assignments will also count as a way to evaluate the learners’ progress. Since this is a practical minicourse and the educators are learning how to be effective during small group instructions, artifacts such as lesson plans or creating materials will be considered as assignments too.
- Peer review collaboration: When an assignment was requested, it could be evaluated by coach and school Administration, but also by the peers that are working in the same assignment. Peers can score and offer feedback to each other.
- Virtual Labs or workshops: In the last module of the minicourse, where the educators are learning different strategies to apply during the small group instruction, each school will facilitate in-person workshops so the educators can role-play and practice those strategies before using them with their students. Then, their reflection will be collected in a Discussion forum.
LMS of choice
In the previous module, I had a great experience learning about different Authoring tools such as Articulate, Adobe or Voomly. This week I am learning about the Learning Management System (LMS) as a place to host and deliver the content of the minicourse.
First, I explored Schoology since this is the LMS that the target audience is already using in the school district. In addition, I have several years of experience as a user and this will facilitate getting familiar with the LMS as an Instructional Designer now.
Schoology combines discussions, articles and assessments. Some of the lessons already created for the minicourse are videos, slides and interactive lessons using mainly Articulate Storyline.
However, I am researching the compatibility between Articulate Storyline and Schoology and I am reading different opinions so, I started to consider Reach 360, the LMS created specifically for Articulate Storyline and Rise. After researching this option, it can not be my first preference because it will require paying a membership and the educators will also need to get familiar with this new software.
After asking my teachers, I decided to use Canvas, a very popular LMS in the Education field that it is often mention as a requirement in some job interviews for Instructional Designers. Even not being familiar today with this platform, it is a great opportunity to practice and learn more.
LMS resources and support
- E-learning heroes is the webpage to clarify and ask questions about Articulate so this is a great resource to learn about the Reach LMS and compatibilities with Canvas.
- Schoology resources is the main website to learn about the LMS and different features.
- Instructure Community is the website to clarify questions about Canvas.