For this assignment my group was tasked with creating a rubric for selecting an learning management system (LMS) for professional development for nurses. We analysed the scenario and came up with a list of 11 criteria for our rubric.
- flexible delivery for diverse learners
- active and current content
- community building
- intuitive design
- cost-effective and scalable
- safe and secure
- dynamic and iterative design and development
- integrates multimedia
- curriculum mapping
- training, documentation, and support
- learning analytics for assessment and evaluation
When brainstorming the criteria we referred to the SECTIONS framework. This framework was a good starting point for general decision making but it needed to be revised to highlight the unique requirements of this scenario.
I used my experience working in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba which includes the College of Nursing to highlight important areas not apparent in the scenario description. One thing that was very important for me to emphasize was intuitive design. I know from experience that when introducing new technology that a difficult user interface can lead to resistance from busy learners and staff. Removing unnecessary steps, clicks, and external links that send learners outside of the LMS prevents frustrated learners from giving up (White, 2017). This means that when selecting an LMS it is important to look beyond flashy bells and whistles that can create unnecessary complexity for users. Another important aspect that was not obvious from the scenario description was the role of multimedia in health care education. For example it would be important that LMS could support incorporating video elements for standardized patient videos.
I’m pleased with the final result of the project but ultimately I think using rubrics for comparing and evaluating LMS is cumbersome. In the real world I would have tackled this project by creating a feature checklist. I would create an comprehensive list of desired features organized by categories. I think this would make it much more easier to identify exactly what is needed for a project and make better comparisons.
In a later revision of the assignment we included a recommendation for an LMS. We started by discussing what we were already familiar with professionally. We ultimately decided on recommending Elentra (also known as Entrada). Many LMS offer similar features and did well when assessed with our rubric. What really stood out to us about Elentra was the widespread adoptio of it in the health sciences field. To me this signalled opportunities for interprofessional collaboration and maybe joint funding opportunities with universities.
References
Bates, T. (2015). Teaching in a Digital Age. Chapter 8: Choosing and using media in education: the SECTIONS model. Retrieved from http://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/part/9-pedagogical-differences-between-media/
White, M., & Shellenbarger, T. (2017). Harnessing the power of learning management systems: An E-learning approach for professional development. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 33(3), 138-141. Retrieved from https://oce-ovid-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/article/01709760-201705000-00007/HTML