What It Really Takes to Support a Learning Management System
- By Samuel G. Scalise
- 03/30/04
Supporting Learning Management Systems requires a well integrated IT team with
strength in many support layers. Without that strength, the results could render
LMS a distraction rather than a benefit. Institutions with small IT units should
consider using the LMS services of a larger institution.
The tasks for any one of the layers of support may seem undemanding by itself.
The coalesced tasks for all of the layers is much more complex. All layers need
to be well integrated. If any layer is not optimized, it puts stress on other
layers. Institutions thinking of doing Learning Management Systems in a serious
manner should consider having a director of LMS whose job is to integrate all
of the layers.
Let's examine a few of the layers and how they are viewed at different institutions.
Who Supports LMS?
The most important question an institution must decide is who is responsible
for the overall management of LMS support. Gartner, a top technology research
group, recently released a survey about how institutions manage their LMS infrastructure.
The majority of respondents indicated the Chief Information Officer of their
institution had primary responsibility for selecting the infrastructure required
to support LMS - including the selection of software and hardware products.
At Sonoma, the CIO has this responsibility and the layers of support are provided
from a single IT unit where communication is emphasized. At other institutions,
these layers are provided from unconnected support units, increasing the stresses
between layers.
What LMS? How Many?
There are a wide variety of LMS products available. Choosing is not easy. There
are tradeoffs between functionality, support, and cost.
More than half of the respondents to the Gartner survey specified the use of
a single LMS product at the institution. These responses indicate recognition
of the complex LMS infrastructure. The survey listed the top reasons to standardize
on one system as cost of support, ease in providing technical support, and ease
for users to use one project.
Sonoma supports only one product, a proprietary system. However, we are investigating
Open Source alternatives for cost savings and increased flexibility for instructors
and researchers.
Network
Most LMS are highly dependent on the performance of the network. If the network
slows down, the system may become useless.
The Gartner survey showed that most institutions recognize the network as the
single most important technology supporting LMS infrastructure.
Sonoma is fortunate to have a world-class, very high-speed network and network
support unit. A solid network has a sound architecture, well-trained staff,
performance monitoring, and a reliable refresh budget to address the continuously
changing network technology.
Many K-12 schools and other educational institutions are struggling with both.
LMS designed to minimize the effects of a poor network may be useful in such
instances.
Security, Authentication, Authorization
Right behind network performance, security systems were indicated as the most
important LMS infrastructure technology supporting LMS in the Gartner survey.
In part, this means that users of the system are authorized and authenticated
against a list of known users. If an institution has a large customer base,
this means integrating the LMS with the administrative information systems of
the institution and an authentication tool such as LDAP.
At Sonoma, we have nearly 8,000 students at a time. On any given day, there
will be many students adding and dropping classes. Since our LMS system is integrated
with our enrollment and class database and LDAP, students are automatically
added or dropped from the LMS classes. They use the same authentication credentials
used for e-mail and registration.
Many institutions have not reached this level of integration, so security involves
paperwork, signatures, and lag-time. If a student adds a class today, and the
teacher makes assignments via the LMS, the student may have an excuse for not
doing the homework while the Helpdesk processes paperwork.
Development of Content and Quality Control
The development of content for a class is optional to instructors at most institutions.
Other institutions acquire content for all classes from multiple sources. It
is important for an institution to clearly define the content development strategy
because there are significant training and support consequences.
Decisions must also be made about quality control. If the content is an extension
of the instructors' classroom, then the instructor is probably the quality control
person. If the institution is trying to develop marketable content, then there
may be some quality standards specified.
Training
Training is one of the most important layers of support. Yet its importance
and funding is often overlooked or under funded. Training must be provided each
term to instructors designing and updating materials and to students using the
system.
Training for content design must include two levels. An introductory course
must be provided for new instructors each semester. Advanced instruction will
always be in demand. If instructors don't receive training, the demand on the
Helpdesk increases.
Although LMS are becoming self-explanatory, students may require instruction
to ensure that they are not left behind. For discipline-specific LMS modules,
additional training may be needed.
Helpdesk
A Helpdesk is the nexus support layer for LMS. Helpdesk staff must be able to
answer basic questions about LMS design and use, be able to indicate whether
problems are with the LMS, the network, the workstation, or the user. And, they
receive a surprising number of questions about the content, too, whether chemistry,
history, or economics.
Nearly ninety percent of the respondents to the Gartner survey provided in-house
support for LMS. Only a handful provided 24 x 7 support.
System Administration
System administration falls into two categories: Hardware/OS administration
and LMS server administration.
In a well-run institution, a team performs the Hardware/OS administration for
multiple servers, regardless of the applications running on the servers. This
enables them to perform standard tasks across multiple servers at the same time,
saving resources and ensuring that nothing is overlooked. These tasks include
backups, OS security updates, monitoring, and OS version upgrades.
The LMS server administrator is responsible for making sure the LMS application
upgrades are installed. The administrator must collaborate with the training
personnel and Helpdesk in case upgrades cause end-user issues.
The LMS server administrator and Hardware/OS administrator work closely together
to ensure that the application and operating system are optimally configured
and that uptime is monitored.
Enterprise Portal Interface
As enterprise portals become more common on campuses, it is important to consider
the interfaces between an LMS and other campus portal interests such as the
Library, Registration, and Enrollment functions. Increasingly, the LMS will
have a separate portal, provided by the vendor.
Refresh Costs
All of these systems should be replaced within the next five years. This means
all new servers, new versions of the operating system, and new versions of the
LMS. There are several ways to calculate the costs. But, if an institution d'esn't
plan for it, the system will fall apart.
Other Layers of Support
Hopefully the large list above won't discourage an institution planning to implement
LMS. Other considerations include Digital Rights Management, Disaster Recovery
Planning, interfaces with Video Streaming and Wireless Networking.
No Shortcuts
Shortcuts don't work. If the network fails, the stress on the Helpdesk increases.
If there isn't an integrated enrollment and authentication system, students
won't get their homework assignments on time. Without a refresh budget, systems
will become obsolete and investments wasted.
The Most Important Part - The Glue
The parts of a sailboat are not individually complex. But, if they are not well
integrated and managed, a sailor may end up swimming back to shore. Similarly,
the support layers for Learning Management Systems are individually simple.
But, it is the glue of teamwork that makes it work. This means lots of planning
meetings. Institutions that don't have this glue should have an emergency raft
in place.
The Future
It is early in LMS development and the diverse products in place today have
little to no interoperability. All of the energy in technical support and content
development may need to be converted or redone as better systems and vendors
take over leadership - and other vendors collapse. There is a growing interest
in open source software LMS solutions. And discipline-specific tools will become
an increasing factor. It is important to track developments in this area to
make strategic decisions. No matter how well we've done, we're not finished.
