2003 Spring Focus Session

Course Management Systems: Next Generation
March 7, 2003
Marriott University Park Hotel
Tucson, Arizona

Proceedings

Intended Participants

Product managers for commercial software development (who are interested in understanding market needs and translating those into software requirements)
Software developers on campuses (who wish to understand faculty and student needs and translate those into software requirements)
Faculty and instructional designers (who wish to implement learner-centered teaching practices in their design/use of course management systems)
Procurement and Academic Administrators (who are interested in using learner-centered functional requirements in their development of RFPs and selection of course management systems)
Instructional technology support who are responsible for instructional technology infrastructure and faculty support (who wish to use their understanding of the teaching and learning uses to configure and support course management systems)
Educational technology, usability and human interface researchers (who are interested in using the requirements for designing models and prototypes)

Program

Higher education has rapidly embraced the use of course management systems (CMSs) as a new standard for online, hybrid, and face-to-face teaching and learning. How are CMSs being used to support deeper learning? Is the CMS a potential framework for the transformation of teaching and learning? In the context of deeper learning (see NLII Key Theme: Learner-Centered Principles) and CMSs, what are the teaching and learning issues, the institutional and administrative issues, and the design and architectural implications?

These questions, and a discussion of where we go from here, were undertaken at the NLII Spring Focus Session. Course management systems seem to be more than the sum of their parts, but much work needs to be done to determine what makes a CMS a meaningful learning container.

Meeting Purpose

Collaboratively, we discussed how the use of a course management system can support teaching practices and learning activities that result in deeper learning. We considered how current practice with current systems contributes to teaching and learning, identified what's missing in the current generation of CMS implementations and imagined what's possible. A number of systems were demonstrated, and successful, diverse course experiences were presented as case studies on implementation. Together, we

Identified key features that have been, or should be, used to create the course management experience.
Explored CMS practices that contribute to deeper, more meaningful learning.
Defined futures, fixes, tools, and possibilities for next-generation systems.

Focusing Questions

The results of this focus session are being reported back to the higher education and software development communities to inform development activities underway for next-generation CMSs. We addressed the following questions during the day:

How can we develop a conceptual framework that will facilitate this (and other discussions) about transforming teaching and learning with technology?
Is the CMS a potential framework for the transformation of teaching and learning?
What roles do the stakeholders (faculty, students, vendors, instructional designers, IT, library, and campus administration) play in that transformation?
What do we truly know about learning and cognition that can be organized into principles and applied to the online environment?
What are good learner-centered instructional strategies (teaching practices and learning activities)?
What are some theory-based design implications for online learning based on the principles of deep learning?
What best practices (based on these principles) exist in current design, teaching and learning strategies for use of course management systems and what are some good examples?
What problems exist that can be attributed to use (or poor use) of CMSs
What teaching and learning problems exist or persist that can be attributed to the design and architecture of current CMS, and could be addressed by new CMS functionality?
What are some suggested capabilities for next generation course management systems?
With regard to learning objects, third party tools, and end users, in the context of course management systems:
- What are the forces driving the development of future software and systems?
- What forces will influence effective development and implementation?
- How can the Higher Education user community most effectively communicate its requirements for future principle-based software and systems?
- How will next generation course management systems reflect the needs of next generation course management system users?
What are the recommendations and high-priority features for next generation course management that will address the issues we've identified with regard to:
- teaching and learning?
- technology and architecture?
- institutional and organizational aspects of the use of course management systems?

Word Products & Next Steps

Conceptual framework to provide common framework so diverse participants can have productive dialogues about the use of technology: final draft due Fall Quarter, 2003
Glossary of terms, purpose of which is again, to facilitate productive dialogues about the use of technology, in particular course management systems: Final draft due Fall Quarter, 2003
Principles Observation Tool, designed to help an observer be reflective about deeper learning principles in the context of an actual course supported by a course management system: Final draft due Summer, 2003
Prioritized set of issues and recommendations associated with features of next-generation CMSs according to learner-centered principles. (First draft currently in meeting notes, but list to be extracted and refined into a separate work product to be shared with CMS developers Summer, 2003)
Usage scenarios representing features recommended by focus session participants, to be provided to IMS working groups for their use in developing technical specifications: To be developed April – May, 2003)
Final draft, consensual set of function requirements for next generation course management systems, to be provided to IMS working groups and course management software developers: To be developed May – July, 2003
Course Management Systems working group was chartered as a consequence of the focus session and will operate from April, 2003 through January 2004. In general the role of this working group is to: review the final draft versions of the working documents described above; tackle institutional and organizational issues and recommendations including consortial approaches) regarding the effective implementation and support of course management systems; and strategize how to approach and work with decision-makers who choose and manage course management systems so that teaching and learning issues are understood, recognized, and included in the decision-making process.

ELI ELI Events ELI Events Calendar		2003 Spring Focus Session Course Management Systems: Next Generation March 7, 2003 Marriott University Park Hotel Tucson, Arizona Proceedings General Sessions Panel and Breakout Sessions CMS Parlor Intended Participants Product managers for commercial software development (who are interested in understanding market needs and translating those into software requirements) Software developers on campuses (who wish to understand faculty and student needs and translate those into software requirements) Faculty and instructional designers (who wish to implement learner-centered teaching practices in their design/use of course management systems) Procurement and Academic Administrators (who are interested in using learner-centered functional requirements in their development of RFPs and selection of course management systems) Instructional technology support who are responsible for instructional technology infrastructure and faculty support (who wish to use their understanding of the teaching and learning uses to configure and support course management systems) Educational technology, usability and human interface researchers (who are interested in using the requirements for designing models and prototypes) Program Higher education has rapidly embraced the use of course management systems (CMSs) as a new standard for online, hybrid, and face-to-face teaching and learning. How are CMSs being used to support deeper learning? Is the CMS a potential framework for the transformation of teaching and learning? In the context of deeper learning (see NLII Key Theme: Learner-Centered Principles) and CMSs, what are the teaching and learning issues, the institutional and administrative issues, and the design and architectural implications? These questions, and a discussion of where we go from here, were undertaken at the NLII Spring Focus Session. Course management systems seem to be more than the sum of their parts, but much work needs to be done to determine what makes a CMS a meaningful learning container. Meeting Purpose Collaboratively, we discussed how the use of a course management system can support teaching practices and learning activities that result in deeper learning. We considered how current practice with current systems contributes to teaching and learning, identified what's missing in the current generation of CMS implementations and imagined what's possible. A number of systems were demonstrated, and successful, diverse course experiences were presented as case studies on implementation. Together, we Identified key features that have been, or should be, used to create the course management experience. Explored CMS practices that contribute to deeper, more meaningful learning. Defined futures, fixes, tools, and possibilities for next-generation systems. Focusing Questions The results of this focus session are being reported back to the higher education and software development communities to inform development activities underway for next-generation CMSs. We addressed the following questions during the day: How can we develop a conceptual framework that will facilitate this (and other discussions) about transforming teaching and learning with technology? Is the CMS a potential framework for the transformation of teaching and learning? What roles do the stakeholders (faculty, students, vendors, instructional designers, IT, library, and campus administration) play in that transformation? What do we truly know about learning and cognition that can be organized into principles and applied to the online environment? What are good learner-centered instructional strategies (teaching practices and learning activities)? What are some theory-based design implications for online learning based on the principles of deep learning? What best practices (based on these principles) exist in current design, teaching and learning strategies for use of course management systems and what are some good examples? What problems exist that can be attributed to use (or poor use) of CMSs What teaching and learning problems exist or persist that can be attributed to the design and architecture of current CMS, and could be addressed by new CMS functionality? What are some suggested capabilities for next generation course management systems? With regard to learning objects, third party tools, and end users, in the context of course management systems: What are the forces driving the development of future software and systems? What forces will influence effective development and implementation? How can the Higher Education user community most effectively communicate its requirements for future principle-based software and systems? How will next generation course management systems reflect the needs of next generation course management system users? What are the recommendations and high-priority features for next generation course management that will address the issues we've identified with regard to: teaching and learning? technology and architecture? institutional and organizational aspects of the use of course management systems? Word Products & Next Steps Conceptual framework to provide common framework so diverse participants can have productive dialogues about the use of technology: final draft due Fall Quarter, 2003 Glossary of terms, purpose of which is again, to facilitate productive dialogues about the use of technology, in particular course management systems: Final draft due Fall Quarter, 2003 Principles Observation Tool, designed to help an observer be reflective about deeper learning principles in the context of an actual course supported by a course management system: Final draft due Summer, 2003 Prioritized set of issues and recommendations associated with features of next-generation CMSs according to learner-centered principles. (First draft currently in meeting notes, but list to be extracted and refined into a separate work product to be shared with CMS developers Summer, 2003) Usage scenarios representing features recommended by focus session participants, to be provided to IMS working groups for their use in developing technical specifications: To be developed April – May, 2003) Final draft, consensual set of function requirements for next generation course management systems, to be provided to IMS working groups and course management software developers: To be developed May – July, 2003 Course Management Systems working group was chartered as a consequence of the focus session and will operate from April, 2003 through January 2004. In general the role of this working group is to: review the final draft versions of the working documents described above; tackle institutional and organizational issues and recommendations including consortial approaches) regarding the effective implementation and support of course management systems; and strategize how to approach and work with decision-makers who choose and manage course management systems so that teaching and learning issues are understood, recognized, and included in the decision-making process.
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