Learning Design Systems, Learning Activity Management Systems
What are they?
These systems either comply with, or are inspired by, Learning Design. Learning Design is a relatively new perspective that emphasises:
- The importance of activity. In other words, students are considered to learn better when they are doing something, rather than merely listening or watching.
- The sequencing of learning activities into a structured workflow. A sequence can extend over any length of time, from a few minutes to several weeks.
- The storage of learning designs (i.e. lesson plans) so that they can be shared with, and re-used by, other teachers (see also Learning objects).
Learning Design is associated with a technical specification, IMS Learning Design (IMS LD), which is intended to make it possible to design and create sequences of learning activities and “run” them in different technological environments, provided that these are compliant with the IMS LD specification.
Learning Design systems are still in their infancy, and currently only LAMS – the Learning Activity Management System – enjoys widespread use. It consists of:
- A graphical interface for designing learning activity sequences
- A range of tools for running individual and collaborative learning activities (including Web searches, discussion forums, voting, question-and-answer and multiple-choice questions)
- A “monitoring” environment, in which teachers can keep track of students’ progress through the sequence and thereby give help to anyone who is falling behind.
You can find out more about LAMS at http://www.lamsinternational.com/.
Another Learning Design system which is gaining popularity is Reload: http://www.reload.ac.uk. Like LAMS, it includes an editor for creating sequences and a “player” in which students carry out the actual learning activities.
How can I use them with my students?
Teachers appear divided over the benefits of Learning Design systems in post-compulsory learning, particularly HE. However, they seem to be most effective in self-paced learning, or in fairly predictable sequences of activities which are unlikely to require ad-hoc changes once they are under way.
Ideally, you should be able to use a Learning Design system in face-to-face, fully online and/or blended settings. You should also be able to intersperse on- and off-computer activities. For example, if the students are all in the same room it’s more natural to conduct a face-to-face discussion than an online chat. Or, in an activity sequence that extends over a number of timetabled sessions, you may want to students to do a practical investigation or go on a field trip, then return to the computer in order to report and discuss their results in an asynchronous forum.
Examples
You can find examples of LAMS activity sequences which have been created for the post-compulsory sector on the LAMS Community Website: http://www.lamscommunity.org.
Designer’s note: We also plan to include here examples from the JISC Design for Learning programme over the course of 2007.
Where can I get one?
LAMS is available free and runs on the Web. You can obtain a trial account through its main Website. If your organisation decides to adopt LAMS for widescale use, it’s best to host LAMS on your own server. This will require some technical expertise.
To download a copy of Reload, visit its main Website.
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