Are LMS Useful?

This week I would like to share a recent SoTL article that may seem tangential to teaching and learning, and perhaps many of us as pedagogist perceive as a part of teaching that is beyond our input. The article is entitled, “Whither the LMS: Is the LMS Still Fit for Purpose?” by Willems, et al. (2023). Many of us have been using some type of learning management system (LMS) for years, perhaps without considering if the systems support or perhaps distract from learning. The pandemic created a situation where everyone was forced to use an LMS for teaching and learning, which some instructors may not have been completely prepared for, which resulted in less than satisfactory outcomes for students and teachers.

Through a qualitative study, the authors explore the debates about the capacity of the LMS to meet current and future needs of students and educators. Adopting a novel and recognised approach to thematic analysis, a Delphi process was adopted on the de-identified webinar and chat transcripts. Analysis revealed several key themes ranging across pedagogical, technological, and managerial issues with the LMS. Findings include:

LMS users include students, management, educators and learning designers, which can lead to competing and conflicting perspectives on LMS use.
Research and teaching practices are calling into question whether the LMS is fit for purpose.
The learning needs of our students are of paramount performance, particularly in terms of students having agency in their learning.
Institutions are reviewing minimum pedagogical standards for teaching in the LMS, and this work is intensifying questions about the role of the LMS.
We need to think in terms of an institutional vision for a learning ecology that balances the diverse needs of multiple stakeholders with a vested interest in the teaching and technology space, not least of all, students themselves.

The following are direct quotes from participant instructors:

“Some practitioners feel that students see the LMS as a vehicle for downloading PDFs.”
“It's the lecture-tutorial model transposed to LMS equals PPT and discussion forum.”
”For many years a lot of academics were just simply not interested. They used it as a depository because in a way they're forced to, but they're not really interested in using it for teaching.”

A major theme which focuses on instructors emerged with the following categories:

teaching conformity;
learning design;
teacher agency; and
institutional restrictions.

Key findings related to teaching and learning included:

The challenge for the LMS to meet the needs of multiple stakeholders - Management needs to recognise that multiple stakeholders have a vested interest in the LMS.
Lack of clarity how institutions could leverage on the LMS to conceptualize new approaches to learning and teaching - Institutions need a teaching and learning vision for the LMS if it is to be used effectively and widely by teaching staff
Lack of fundamental understanding of how LMS could support ‘quality teaching and learning’ as part of a technology ecosystem - Institutions need to map their technology ecosystems with a focus on what constitutes good teaching and learning.

Perhaps some of you are included in institutional educational technology committees and these conversations arise. Whether the issue is technology or another supplement to teaching, a hyper-focus on research-based course design has been shown to be the key factor to engaging students and subsequent success.

References

Willems, J., Huijser, H., Doherty, I., & Soong, A. (2023). Whither the LMS: Is the LMS Still Fit for Purpose?. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 20(6). https://doi.org/10.53761/1.20.6.13