I have now read the years 2002-2011 in Weller’s (2020) 25 Years of Ed Tech. So far, this book has been an easy read (I never thought I’d say that in a Master’s Program), and I am listening to the podcast In-Between the Chapters. I appreciate the input from all of the guests on the podcast and the valuable insight they provide. I have also enjoyed learning the history of many technologies I interact with daily. In this post, I will cover some ideas that resonated with me from these chapters.


“We should probably give the LMS a little respect and a little love” (Weller, 2020, p. 68)


After reflecting on the chapter on Learning Management Systems (LMS), I could not agree more with the above statement. As an instructor in the pandemic, the LMS, for better or worse, was at the heart of everything we did. The LMS housed the schedule, lecture recordings, PowerPoint slide decks, assignments, and tests. The machining instructors at SAIT utilized our LMS marking function. We could automate almost all markings except written answer assignments/tests. We were saving time on marking, which allowed us to spend more time helping students in the transition online and further developing the program. Without the self-marking function, we may not have had the time to aid student success. This also cuts down on the dreaded marking (Thanks, Brightspace!!).

Blogs, LMS and Social Media


Weller (2020) speculated what the ed-tech world would look like if the field adopted blogs rather than LMS. He painted a picture where students could have their own digital space, post what they have learned, and have open discussions. In theory, this would lead to greater educational openness. I agree this alternate reality could have benefited learners, and we see the success on a small scale in the MALAT program. However, I fear that if these blogs were at the core of online learning rather than an LMS, they could have turned into what we see in social media today, “generally toxic behavior [ that has] become the most significant aspect of usage” (Weller, 2020, p.107). I believe that learners need to feel safe in their learning environments. Since the LMS provides a closed, controlled environment with a professor or instructor as a moderator, it can make learners feel safer than if they were posting on an open blog.

Reference:

Weller, M. (2020). 25 years of ed tech. Athabasca University Press. https://doi.org/10.15215/aupress/9781771993050.01