destance learning

La Roche College ISTC2025 –Distance Learning and IT Support

Module 2 – Infrastructure, Standards and CMS Introduction: This activity introduces you to what is needed to support Distance Learning from a technology perspective. It addresses the infrastructure, standards for distance learning, and course management software. Objectives(CO-C): 1. Discuss the requireD infrastructure to support Distance Education courses and

programs. 2. Identify the IT implications for support of this technology. 3. Articulate the role of IT staff in participating in strategic planning for integration of

technology into online courses. 4. Discuss the IT role in computer user support, product evaluation/strategies, and utility

tools. Readings:

Infrastructure: Week 3 – 9/11 1. Read Chapters 4 in the Simonson et al textbook. 2. Read these articles and review this slide show:

Mohammad, S. and Job, M. (2012). Evaluation of Infrastructure for E-Learning System in AOU-Bahrain Branch. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Research. Vol 2 No. 4 April 2012. Retrieved from http://esjournals.org/journaloftechnology/archive/vol2no4/vol2no4_7.pdf

IT Infrastructure for eLearning - Trends and Issues viewed at http://www.slideshare.net/michaelc/elearning-emerging-trends-and- issues.

Standards: Week 4 - 9/18 3. View this video on SCORM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzxNwWvmwf4 .

Course or Learning Management Systems and Content Management Software: Week 5 – 9-25

4. Read Chapter 5 in the Simonson book that discusses instructional design for distance education.

5. Look at these sites for information on LMS http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/selecting-learning-management-system- advice-academic-perspective and http://www.capterra.com/learning- management-system-software/ .

IT Role in User Support/Product Evaluation Week 5 – 9/25

6. Read chapters 1, 8 and 12 in the Beisse textbook.

Activity: 1 Find and compare 2 infrastructure checklists for use in assessing the organizations

infrastructure as part of the strategic plan for moving to e-Learning. Submit your comparison and sources using the assignment red text link in Blackboard. This should be a type of document similar to what you might give to your boss – to the point.

2. You are serving on a committee to select a course management system for use in educating and training your faculty, students, or employees. The concept of standards has come up. While you are familiar with SCORM, you don’t know these other three that were brought to your attention: AICC, IMS, and LLC. The question is does our system need to have all four standards? Why would that be important or not? You are charged with making a recommendation for which of these standards the CMS MUST comply with.

 How will you go about finding out what these standards are and whether they are important?

 What are they and how important would they be?

 What is your recommendation? Why? Present your findings and recommendation in the discussion forum.

3. Research information about course/learning management systems and content management systems. While doing this focus on the difference between course/learning management systems (CMS/LMS) and content management systems (CMS) and the conditions under which one would be better than the other.

 Go to this site http://lms.findthebest.com/ and using the criterion on the left search for a CMS. Now go to this site http://www.capterra.com/learning- management-system-software/ select the criterion for two CMS that meets your requirements

 Go to the discussion forum and describe what you did, what you thought of these two sites, and what you found? Would this be a site(s) you would use in the future if in the position of making a recommendation for a CMS? Why or why not?

4. Research information about user support tools (see Chapter 12 Beisse book).

 Add a page to the Tools wiki that describes a tool you would recommend, why you would recommend it, what it does, how it would be used, and what it costs. Consider such tools as DriveBooster, CCleaner, HitmanPro, Advanced System Care and so forth.

 Provide a resource or 2 about the tool.

 Do NOT cover one already added by a classmate. Scoring: Module activities count as part of the 10% of your grade. There are 25 points for this activity.

Criteria Possible Points

Your Points

Compared two infrastructure checklists following directions in #1 above – identified source for checklists (1); developed criteria for evaluating them (1); compared using the criteria (2); written in a professional, objective style (1)

5

Submitted the document through the assignment feature

2

Describe process of locating information about standards as described above (1); why they are important (2) and what you recommend (2)

5

Post results of #2 to the discussion forum 2

Described process of using those sites in activity 3; results posted (3) and feelings about such sites described (2).

5

Added a page on the tools wiki describing a tool (1), what it does (1), why/how you might use it (1), cost (1), and resources about the tool (1)

5

Submitted in a timely fashion 1

TOTAL 25