Part 6: Lms Evaluation:
Desire to Learn (D2L) and BlackBoard Course Sites
INTRODUCTION
This review will consider specific aspects of both LMS Systems. These include:
1. Using Activate/Deactivate Tools;
2. Viewing Content Statistics;
3 . Viewing Classlist and User Progress;
4. Copying Components from other Courses;
5. Grade Scheme and Final Grades Calculations;
6. View all items as a Demo student to ensure completion.
The two systems being reviewed are D2L and Blackboard Course Sites.
NOTE: Due to the nature of these activities, snapshots of these areas will provide the reader better understanding of the discussion. Therefore more pictures will be utilized to demonstrate each LMS capabilities.
This review will consider specific aspects of both LMS Systems. These include:
1. Using Activate/Deactivate Tools;
2. Viewing Content Statistics;
3 . Viewing Classlist and User Progress;
4. Copying Components from other Courses;
5. Grade Scheme and Final Grades Calculations;
6. View all items as a Demo student to ensure completion.
The two systems being reviewed are D2L and Blackboard Course Sites.
NOTE: Due to the nature of these activities, snapshots of these areas will provide the reader better understanding of the discussion. Therefore more pictures will be utilized to demonstrate each LMS capabilities.
Evaluation of Blackboard
Course Site LMS SYSTEM
Strengths:
This week's expectations are different from the previous activities reviewed. These items are more of the administrative nature, as opposed to the creation of a lesson, test or quiz. Blackboard Course Sites LMS provides good resources and processes for accomplishing these tasks. The first area was to deactivate the course. This was simple point and click in the customization tab.
This week's expectations are different from the previous activities reviewed. These items are more of the administrative nature, as opposed to the creation of a lesson, test or quiz. Blackboard Course Sites LMS provides good resources and processes for accomplishing these tasks. The first area was to deactivate the course. This was simple point and click in the customization tab.
Next, viewing the course content statistics was a matter of finding the correct report to run. Since this is a demo course and the students are not actually doing the work, this is a view of the report page where various content areas can be accessed. Again, this is a fairly simple process to complete.
To look at the class list and user progress, there are several reports to choose from in Blackboard Course Sites. As demonstrated in the picture below, a report can be created for a specific student, time period, or more. This process takes a couple of practices to get used to, but overall a pretty easy task.
Blackboard Course Site has a very easy tool for copying the contents of a course. This process also allows for easy saving into a new course title/framework. Since there were no other courses prepared to be able to import/export, for this activity I simply copied all of the created content into a new course that I created.
The final task was a series of grading processes. These included changing roles to faculty status, changing grade schemes and submitting final grades. Blackboard was very easy in dealing with Grading Schemes. This LMS already provides the percents for you in a new scheme, you can simply modify them as needed.
Weaknesses:
While most activities were easily accomplished in Blackboard, two of the grading areas were difficult. The first was dealing with changing the role to faculty. This LMS did not have the option to change. When the course was created, roles were selected. So, I would have to create a new user and assign a new role in order to get this task completed.
While most activities were easily accomplished in Blackboard, two of the grading areas were difficult. The first was dealing with changing the role to faculty. This LMS did not have the option to change. When the course was created, roles were selected. So, I would have to create a new user and assign a new role in order to get this task completed.
Another area of weakness related to the final grades and calculation of these grades. This LMS does not have an intuitive process for accomplishing these areas. It was not clear on where to go to do the final grades. The help/tutorials in system are very general and not as effective in helping me understand what I wanted to do. After calling the online support, it was obvious that having only one student and limited grades/activity caused some issues.
Review of the D2L LMS SYSTEM
Strengths:
Three of the activities for this review were very easy to complete in the D2L system. Those include the deactivating, reviewing statistics for users and content statistics. The remaining two were more difficult but could be accomplished with some assistance.
For example, changing the status of tools in D2L is a couple of clicks of the mouse and it is complete. The process is fairly straightforward.
Three of the activities for this review were very easy to complete in the D2L system. Those include the deactivating, reviewing statistics for users and content statistics. The remaining two were more difficult but could be accomplished with some assistance.
For example, changing the status of tools in D2L is a couple of clicks of the mouse and it is complete. The process is fairly straightforward.
Viewing the activity of users with respect to the content being viewed was also a few steps that lead to success. Finding the right area to click (Related Tools) was the biggest challenge.
Finding the status of students was also a few clicks in the Classlist area that allows the viewer to see all those linked to the class.
These processes are fairly intuitive and very short. Other options exist for additional reports.
Copying content or components from D2L courses is a little more involved process. The help tutorial is good to view prior to trying this process. It is also critical that you know what course you are copying because you will have to select it in a listing. Otherwise, this process is fairly smooth to go through.
Copying content or components from D2L courses is a little more involved process. The help tutorial is good to view prior to trying this process. It is also critical that you know what course you are copying because you will have to select it in a listing. Otherwise, this process is fairly smooth to go through.
The final set of activities for this review involved changing roles, grade schemes and finalizing grades. Changing the roles was a few simple clicks and very intuitive to complete.
The second part of this activity was to change the grade scheme. Again, a fairly intuitive process of two or three clicks let you complete this easily. One challenge was with the grading scale. It is critical that you know the scale you will use prior to starting because you are required to start from the lowest level (typically an "F"). That is not as straightforward.
Weaknesses:
While the majority of this week's tasks were easily accomplished in D2L, I found the process for finalizing grades challenging. The overall process was fairly understandable, however there are several steps that could be easily omitted - thus causing issues.
While the majority of this week's tasks were easily accomplished in D2L, I found the process for finalizing grades challenging. The overall process was fairly understandable, however there are several steps that could be easily omitted - thus causing issues.
The main areas for concern related to knowing where to click at certain times in the process. For example, the arrow next to the Final Grades header is not obvious to viewers that are focused on the table at the bottom of the page.
The parts of this process are not as easy to infer as in other tasks in D2L. For a new user, this process is best learned by observing someone go through it first. Then, practice the process with assistance available to guide you.
In general, the grade calculation process in D2L involves many steps. This can be overwhelming for new users. Guided practice is essential to making this a more manageable task.
In general, the grade calculation process in D2L involves many steps. This can be overwhelming for new users. Guided practice is essential to making this a more manageable task.
LMS Recommendation for Week 6
This week, the selection of the better LMS system was not a difficult one. While both systems make these processes fairly easy. This reviewer looked at the areas that were most difficult to determine which system was better for teachers in our district. D2L, in general, typically requires more steps to accomplish the tasks than does Blackboard.
However, in terms of finalizing grades for the course the number of steps does not matter as much. The process is similar to the one we currently use in our district. So, the nuances that come with D2L will just need to be explained to staff. Since the steps are so similar, teachers will just be clicking in a few different sequences. All other areas were essentially the same in this comparison, so the finalizing of grades was the deciding factor.
Recommendation: We should adopt D2L for our district.
However, in terms of finalizing grades for the course the number of steps does not matter as much. The process is similar to the one we currently use in our district. So, the nuances that come with D2L will just need to be explained to staff. Since the steps are so similar, teachers will just be clicking in a few different sequences. All other areas were essentially the same in this comparison, so the finalizing of grades was the deciding factor.
Recommendation: We should adopt D2L for our district.