Learning Management System
(LMS)Improve Classroom Organization
What is a Learning Management System?
There seems to be some confusion as to what exactly a Learning Management System (LMS) is and how it is or should be used. Put simply, any software platform used to store, deliver, and track educational content could be considered an LMS. It’s uses vary from institution to institution, but at Skidmore,¬†faculty typically use the LMS to perform the tasks listed below. You could think of it as a suped-up file sharing tool, with bells and whistles for grading, creating assignments, and delivering exams. However, by it’s simplest definition, there are many programs that could function as an LMS. Hence we also list WordPress as a tool that can be used to serve many of the traditional functions of an LMS. Here at Skidmore, faculty are encouraged to use the tools that best support their own teaching style and comfort level, whether that be Blackboard or WordPress, or both, or neither.
Post Syllabus
Deliver Course Materials
Distribute and Collect Assignments
Grade
Facilitate Discussion Forums
Hybrid and Online Course Delivery
Engage with Committee Work & Materials
Blackboard
Two years ago we made the decision to move our Blackboard instance to a cloud-hosted environment, which has been quite successful in providing software upgrades with minimal disruption to the academic mission. In the fall of 2017 a small cohort of faculty participated in a pilot program utilizing the new Blackboard Ultra course system, which offered a simpler, more steam-lined user interface. The feedback from this pilot did not point to an overwhelming interest in adopting this new system, due to a number of features still being underdeveloped. In the summer of 2018 we enabled the Ultra base navigation interface, which streamlined the LMS landing page. We will continue to monitor Blackboard developments, as well as the needs of our faculty and students, to determine whether or not a full-scale LMS evaluation is in order.
Videos and Documentation
Creating Assignments with Plagiarism Detection
SafeAssign – PDF; Link to Blackboard
Turnitin – PDF; Link to Turnitin
Student Interaction Tools (PDF):
Office
Hours
Feel free to swing by during our normal office hours or schedule an appointment
