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Learning Management System Assessment Project

Faculty Questions & Feedback

Questions Asked

(At the Faculty Focus Group Discussion)

  • How would an LMS mitigate current activities and leverage faculty effort?
  • Manage course logistics?
  • Share/deliver content?
  • Facilitate online collaboration?
  • Given all current LMS applications will have similar features, what are the "deal-breakers" or non-negotiable attributes that our future LMS must have? These would pre-empt decision process, should be mission critical areas. (i.e.; Open Source Application, operate in real-time integration with Student Information System, IMS-compliance, and possibly confidence in our partnerships to deploy?)
  • What are the service requirements of a successful LMS implementation?

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Responses and Results

Faculty

  • Want a new LMS to have all of the tools WebCT 4.1 has.
  • Like the administrative efficiency of using an LMS for themselves and their students.
    • "[I had] immense problems with learning curve; I just couldn't get it; it relies too much on specialized knowledge and is not in keeping with the kind of intuitive software to which I'm accustomed..."
    -Instructor, from the 2007 WebCT Survey
  • Feel WebCT 4.1's user interface is hard to use and unintuitive.
  • Desire 24/7 accessibility and reliability.
  • Interested in open source, open architecture software.
  • Want UCSC's LMS to interface with student information systems, integrated with AIS.
  • Like the security provided by an LMS.
  • Want lots of storage, including for backups.
  • Want training and support for themselves and students.
    • "Faculty should be able to share resources among each other."
    -Instructor, December 13, 2008 faculty focus group
  • Feel that the should LMS support collaboration.
  • Want a more flexible, easy to use gradebook.
  • Want an easier to use, more flexible quiz tool.
  • Want to be able to more easily control releasing of materials.
  • Want some new tools and functionalities not offered by WebCT 4.1: ability to do course evaluations online, more extensive multiple language support, plug-ins and modules, sharing resources between faculty and document sharing, more user roles within LMS, student profile pages, wikis and bogs, easy podcasting, easy student lists.

COT, CCT, and LTC Academic Senate Committees

  • LMS must be integrated with AIS
  • Primarily concerned about course management & administrative functions
  • Faculty have a mindset that the LMS is only for use with large classes
  • LMS usage should enhance and facilitate rather than replace face-to-face pedagogy
  • Want to be able to play with the LMS
  • Want reduced barriers to use
  • Want 24/7 accessibility
  • Want to be able to customize the LMS

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UCSC Faculty Instructional Technology Center
2006-2008
Last updated 6/24/2008