Learning management systems: one size fits all?

Abstract

Learning management systems such as WebCT and Blackboard are rapidly becoming the principal systems behind institutions' moves to technology-based learning settings. In settings where lecturers have had no or limited exposure to ICT as a teaching tool, LMSs pave the way for quick introduction and eventual adoption of technology-based teaching practices. Many lecturers quickly progress and grow in the field. But there are those who argue that the use of LMS tend to be counter-productive and that in their current forms, they cannot be used effectively as a learning tool. Critics argue that they support only traditional forms of teaching and encourage poor learning designs in their implementation. This panel will explore LMSs as they exist today and will explore whether they are the solution to a pressing problem or in fact problems within themselves