Carliner (2005) provides the clearest explanation of the difference between a Course Management System (CSM) and a Learning Management System (LMS) thus far. The article’s external and internal text structure greatly assist the reader to understand the distinctions between the design purposes of a CMS and a LMS.
Using a different color to signal transition to an important heading and delineating the points with bullets as opposed to text helps to significantly distinguish those characteristics that constitute a CMS, whose design purpose is to support academic classroom course, include:
• Ability to place course material online, including syllabus, course material schedules, lessons, etc.,
• Track student progress by providing assessments: tests or quizzes or electronic gradebooks, and,
• Discussion boards
Those characteristics that constitute a LMS, whose design purpose is corporate training, include:
• Registration,
• Aggregated reports,
• Transferability of data to other systems,
• Process charges for courses and,
• Skills management
The whole-to-whole comparison and contrast format is reinforced by a chart that contrasts the differences between systems. For example, LMS offer enrollment, automatically generated confirmation notes, course catalog, and skills management. CMS do not. To further clarify the differences between LMS and CMS, Carliner (2005) offers an explanation as to why the systems cannot interchange intended users.
He contends:
“…Because education and training are different types of learning activities, the systems that support them are essentially different. As education is intended to build long-term knowledge, the CMSs that support it are designed to support long-term academic classroom classes. In contrast, as training is intended to build knowledge for immediate application, so LMSs are designed to support a large number of short training events.”
Given the direct and indirect costs associated with launching a CMS or LMS (Kruse, 2004) it is prudent for an organization to know its strengths and weaknesses and find or design a program that meets the needs of the company.
References
Kruse, K. Measuring the total cost of e-learning. E-Learning Guru.com Retrieved September 12, 2010 from
http://online.fullsail.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=assignment.main&itemId=223158
Sauliner, C. (2005). Course management systems versus learning management systems. Learning Circuits. Retrieved September 12, 2010 from
http://online.fullsail.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=assignment.main&itemId=223158
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ReplyDeleteTerrance Says:
ReplyDeleteCarliner (2005) does provide a very clear distinction between the two learning systems CMS and LMS. An organization should conduct a needs assessment to identify which direction and what cost associated with the implementation of the systems and there return on investment for the institution and the deeper thinking assets students will achieve.