LSE Case Study
Learning Management Systems (LMS) provide structures for learners to engage in online learning activities effectively. The idea behind LMS is to empower learners so that using the acquired knowledge and experience, they can “create, share, and organize their personal learning environments in open network environments; and allow learners to engage in social networking and collaborating activities” (Tu, Sujo-Montes, Yen, Chan, & Blocher, 2012, p. 13). In achieving this, a pilot online learning system based on a Web 2.
0 platform was developed. The research focuses on making a thorough assessment of the aforementioned system; “lessons learned, examples, and critical issues are discussed” (Tu, Sujo-Montes, Yen, Chan, & Blocher, 2012, p. 13). After having reviewed the case study it becomes clear that the primary research procedure carried out by its authors was a literature review. A total of fourteen references (most of them journal articles) were consulted in the realization of the case study.
The researchers were interested in making a thorough assessment of the pilot LMS, highlighting its strengths, critical issues, and the lessons learned from its continued application. Therefore, they strived to consult other sources of information in order to find out exactly what the experience with LMS had been in the past. As well, there was interest in learning about the evolutionary process that LMS had experienced since its inception. After reviewing the existing literature and case studies conducted on the subject, the researchers’ analysis concluded that with the emergence of LMS “teacher-centered instruction moves to a more interactive level where teachers invite students to share their own individual learning and performance environments, and to interact with others through open social network activities” (Tu, Sujo-Montes, Yen, Chan, & Blocher, 2012, p. 18). This conclusion is justifiable, as it is based on an ample body of research and literature that has tracked the developments achieved in the field over the years.
