Learning Management System (LMS) is an application where software is used in the learning; providing instruction, training, discussions, examination, and grading. There is increasing use of LMS in the field of academia. Many institutions offer public and private educational services through LMSes. LMSes have become a common feature due to their flexibility. One can access educational materials and other services from any place in the world (distance learning). They can also access the services at any time of the day and do not have to be online at stipulated times. So long as they meet the required hours for the course, they are at liberty to log in, discuss and accomplish other objectives such as assignments. Distance learning has improved and made easier provision of educational services. This paper describes the advantages of using distance and the development of a sample LMS material.
How the Distance Learning Will Be Used
Distance learning is used in various ways in the academia. It can be used to provide instructions to the students, provide reading materials and resources, assignments, discussion questions, among others. The instructor is able to track the students' progress and manage their records (Rapuano & Zoino, 2006). LMSes are used mostly with people who have technical knowledge; they can use websites for electronic learning. Students access the websites from their phones and computers and work on the course instructions (Weaver, Spratt, & Nair, 2008). According to Rapuano & Zoino (2006), distance learning bypasses physical, geographical and cultural barriers in the provision of educational services. Distance learning has several benefits as compared to the mainstream learning methods. Trainees are able to study from their home comforts as they do not have to attend classes physically. They can also study at any time of the day when they have adequate time. Discussions are done at a person's pace, so long as they reach the set goals in time. It is also beneficial for students from poor backgrounds and those who cannot afford other expenses such as accommodation, transportation, and other costs. It is also easier for the instructor as the software can be used to grade some of the responses as they are submitted. The instructor, therefore, goes through them only to confirm and ensure credibility. Students are expected to accomplish the times as stipulated by the instructor. At the end of the course, they are supposed to have understood the basic concepts of Human Recourse Management and the ethical issues in human resource management.
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Presentation of Materials
Materials will be presented to students via an electronic blackboard system. The blackboard is customized such that the only the students enrolled in the course can access them (Rapuano & Zoino, 2006; Ni, 2013). Students have to click on the commands provided to access different aspects of the course. The aspects include announcements, the syllabus, course materials, discussions, and assignments. Some of the materials will be accessed via the internet while others will be downloaded through the provided links. Under the announcements section, the instructors can communicate to the students on various aspects of the course, the overall class progress, changes made during the course and any other relevant issues concerning the learning process. They can also be provided materials from other websites and related courses on the same website. The trainees will also be provided by some guidelines through documents that they have to download. It includes the methods and procedures of how to go about the whole process (Simpson, 2013). The syllabus, grading rubric, assignment targets and other related materials are explained to the students. Those who do not understand the process can have a virtual tour of the process where they get access to several windows and tabs and practice how they will do the learning process.
Sample Material
The following is a sample of the materials that can be uploaded to an LMS for trainees to discuss and complete their course.
Week one – 28th May - 3rd June
Discuss the tools that a company uses to manage employees
Discuss the functions of the HR manager and the line manager in an organization
Explain what you understand by the terms work design and organizational structure.
How can an organization ensure employee growth and competence?
Assignment 1: Due 5th June
Explain what you understand by the terms task inventory, job element, critical incidents, project team, job specialization, social security.
Week Two – 4th to 10th June
1. What is the function of Human Resource department in an organization?
2. Discuss the phases of career development
3. Briefly discuss the term direct compensation and provide examples.
4. Explain what you understand by the term statutory benefits. Provide examples.
Mid-term paper: Due June 13, 2017
Identify the areas of human resource ethics. Discuss how an organization can avoid or solve such cases.
Week Three: 11th – 17th June 2017
1. Identify and discuss any three cash and incentives plans used by an organization
2. Discuss the term performance appraisal
3. Through which ways can an organization provide information to the employees?
4. What do you understand by the terms progressive and regressive discipline?
Trainees’ Practice
The questions will be provided on the blackboard under the discussions section. Each trainee has to discuss all the questions on their own. The answers have to be detailed and substantive to meet the instructions. Also, the rest of the students have to respond to the main answers provided by a trainee. The questions can be active for a period of time such as a week or five days after which no one can answer the instructor questions. However, the students can respond to other students' responses at any time during the course. Other than responding to the questions, the trainees have to finish the individual assignments such as the assignment 1 and the mid-term papers on time and submit them through platforms such as safe-assign. Trainees are free to answer the question one at a time or answer all of them in one posting. Students are required to do some reading to respond to the questions. The reading materials are provided under the course materials section. They are required to cite their work with credible sources. The sources are not limited to what is provided in the course material section.
Evaluation and Feedback
The students will get their feedback through a tab titled my progress on the blackboard. Once they complete the discussions or submit their assignments through safe assign, the students can click on the tab to see feedback and scores. They will have notifications for feedbacks when they log into their accounts. The feedbacks include grades and comments from the instructors (Simpson, 2013). They can view the feedbacks online or download them to their phones or personal computers. The grades will be provided in a rubric chart, and the scoring for each variable will be highlighted for the students to see their score against the total possible. In the example above, each discussion week has a maximum of 10 points, assignments carry 50 points whereas the mid-term papers have a maximum 100 points.
Conclusion
Distance learning is an important development in the field of academia today. It has enabled people to access scholarly services from any parts of the world. Interested persons are able to enroll and study under flexible programs at their own paces. Furthermore, the trainees can study without disrupting their daily routines as they log in at times of their convenience. Learning materials are provided electronically to the students. Course materials, assignments, discussion questions, and student grades are provided online. The instructors provide students with feedback a through my progress section. Students get feedback on their progress, grades, and personal communications.
References
Ni, A. Y. (2013). Comparing the effectiveness of classroom and online learning: Teaching research methods. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 199-215.
Rapuano, S., & Zoino, F. (2006). A learning management system including laboratory experiments on measurement instrumentation. IEEE Transactions on instrumentation and measurement, 55(5), 1757-1766.
Simpson, O. (2013). Supporting students in online open and distance learning. Abingdon, UK. Routledge. Print
Weaver, D., Spratt, C., & Nair, C. S. (2008). Academic and student use of a learning management system: Implications for quality. Australasian journal of educational technology, 24(1).
