Part One and Part Two – 2002 The Learning Management System
Regarding Chapter 9, 2002 The Learning Management System (LMS), I had initially intended to use that topic for part one of this activity. However, upon listening to the accompanying “Between the Chapters” podcast, the guest speakers shared perspectives that provided an excellent opportunity to reflect on the nuances of these learning environments and briefly discuss ongoing controversies and debates in practice related to my workplace. In doing so, I have endeavoured to complete parts one and two in a single review as the LMS is immediately relevant and conflicts with current events related to higher education.
However, before proceeding, I feel that it’s important that I disclose that one of my primary duties is to administer and support an LMS at a healthcare organization. I have also been a technician and education technologist for almost two decades. It is fair to say that I am biased toward using LMSs and education technology (ed tech) in general. Nonetheless, I often reflect on my experience and biases and seek other perspectives to challenge my assumptions related to ed tech.
Outside Academia
Whereas Weller’s 2020 book and the accompanying “Between the Chapters” podcast presenters noted the restrictive nature of an LMS on learning activities, their viewpoint is rooted in the learning environment of educational institutions. When considering an organization where education is not the core function, the role and utility of an LMS becomes less controversial. The podcast includes recurring comments about the value of open and diverse learning environments in higher education. However, consider a hospital system, such as my employer, where delivery of healthcare services is our core function, and ongoing education is an important albeit ancillary activity. In a day, our staff access and leverage multiple other digital systems as part of their work duties. Time spent navigating multiple additional platforms for work-related education is time spent away from patient care or related responsibilities. Particularly when considering the scope of the ongoing health human resource crisis in Canada (Jones, 2024), every minute of a practitioner’s time is valuable (Neumann & Bookey-Bassett, 2024).
Digital Literacy and Technical Competencies
Further expanding on the impact of the learning environment on users, user digital literacy and technical competency is an important factor that needs to be considered, particularly in understanding user demographic composition. For example, our hospital system employs staff who may use technology minimally in their duties, are members of different generations with varied technical capabilities, and include a growing population of internationally trained healthcare providers with variable experience using technologies in practice. In this environment, consideration must be paid to the burden that complicated ed tech environments would impose on staff for whom technology is a new or challenging resource. Nevertheless, this is where the LMS can be a recursive solution to its own barriers and challenges; through iterative use of the LMS with effective user support and the inclusion of learning content that focuses on developing digital literacy skills, the LMS becomes an important component in raising the technological competencies of an organization as a whole.
Software Sedimentation, Organizational Volatility and Public Funding
Weller (2020) and the podcast guest noted that the LMS has become somewhat of a “Faustian pact” since its inception and application in higher education (p. 64). Weller (2020) further comments on the institutional sediment that tends to accrete around enterprise systems. From my experience in healthcare and academic institutions, I agree that this phenomenon is common in many systems. However, I temper my criticism with the operational reality of publicly funded institutions. It is no secret that the budgets of publicly funded institutions are strained, particularly healthcare services in Ontario (Canadian Press, 2024; Draaisma, 2024). Through this lens, publicly funded organizations must analyze the costs, benefits and impacts of any major system changes. While software sedimentation has certainly occurred, the costs of changing systems, training enormous user groups, migrating or redistributing massive amounts of user data and educational content, and conducting a thorough procurement process must be considered. The Broader Public Sector Accountability Act binds our activities, and we have a fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers for transparency and accountability in our operations (Government of Ontario, 2024). Budget dollars, like healthcare providers, are a constrained resource, and every dollar spent must be understood in the broader context of impact to patient care.
So, in concluding this activity, I admit that I have not drawn a clear delineation where the LMS conflicts or contradicts current practice, but this was intentional. The LMS is a complicated topic, and its value can be as variable as the practice within which it is embedded and the features and philosophies that underpin the LMS design. I hope to revisit the topic of LMSs in future blog posts, particularly in the context of evolving learning standards, its role in organizational learning, and AI’s potential impact.
Postscript – I strongly encourage listening to the LMS chapter podcast if you have time. I have barely scratched the surface of the topics the guests covered. Discussion includes data privacy, surveillance tech, structural constraints in higher education, and disaster capitalism in ed tech. It is a dense 48-minute discussion.
References
Gibbs, L., Clarke Gray, B., and Kuhn, C. (Host). (2021, January 7). Between the Chapters #9 resistance & care for the LMS with @OnlineCrsLady, @brennacgray & @carolak. [Audio podcast]. In 25 Years of Ed Tech: The Serialized Audio Version. https://25years.opened.ca/2021/01/07/between-the-chapters-the-lms/
Canadian Press. (2024, September 2). Federal health transfers outpace provincial spending despite premiers’ criticisms, analysis shows. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/federal-health-spending-provinces-1.7311340
Draaisma, M. (2024, April 10). Ontario’s health spending lowest in Canada in 2022-2023: report. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/financial-accountability-office-ontario-report-1.7170171
Neumann, W. P., and Bookey-Bassett, S. (2024, June 12). Why are we not using evidence-informed workload management in health care? healthydebate. https://healthydebate.ca/2024/06/topic/evidence-informed-workload-management-health-care/
Jones, A. (2023, May 13). Ontario will need tens of thousands of new nurses, PSWs by 2032. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/nurses-psws-ontario-foi-document-1.7202282
Broader Public Sector Accountability Act (2010, c. 25, s. 12-13). Retrieved from Ontarion e-Laws website: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/10b25
Weller, M. (2020). 25 years of ed tech. AU Press. https://doi.org/10.15215/aupress/9781771993050.01
Attributions
Adobe Stock. (n.d.). Young Arab woman doctor in hijab, medical mask and gloves standing in hospital and using tablet device. Muslim female medic in traditional headscarf tapping on gadget computer in clinic. Covid-19 [Stock image]. Adobe Stock. https://stock.adobe.com/ca/images/young-arab-woman-doctor-in-hijab-medical-mask-and-gloves-standing-in-hospital-and-using-tablet-device-muslim-female-medic-in-traditional-headscarf-tapping-on-gadget-computer-in-clinic-covid-19/383990822?prev_url=detail
Hi Chris,
As always, your posts always leave me learning something valuable. I recommend listening to the LMS podcast because it is a resource for those interested in the multifaceted role of LMS in education and organizations.
Your post offers a compelling reflection on LMS usage’s complexities, particularly from the healthcare perspective. I appreciate how you’ve highlighted the distinct needs of healthcare organizations, where the focus on minimizing time away from patient care contrasts sharply with educational institutions’ more expansive learning goals. The emphasis on digital literacy and the iterative potential of LMS platforms as a tool for enhancing user competencies is particularly insightful, showing how ed tech can adapt to users’ needs rather than impose constraints.
Your observations about software sedimentation and public funding constraints are also critical. They remind us that while critiques of LMSs highlight issues like rigidity, practical and fiscal realities often necessitate their ongoing use. It will be interesting to see how evolving learning standards and emerging technologies like AI reshape the conversation. I know we are just at the beginning stages of AI.
Thanks very much, Kym. I had to keep that post to a moderate length as there are so many facets (good and bad) of LMSs. I forgot to mention that I completely agree with the podcasters and their perspectives on LMSs in academia. LMSs can be incredibly restrictive: harming pedagogy, limiting freedom of expression, reinforcing questionable evaluation methods, contributing to “software sedimentation,” etc. It reminded me of another article that I think I’ve linked to before about embedded values in technology and associated problems: https://consilienceproject.org/technology-is-not-values-neutral-ending-the-reign-of-nihilistic-design-2/
On the flip side of my comments, part of my work is to extend how we use our LMS beyond compliance training. I’m working with educators and experts and have encountered some issues the podcasters mentioned. It’s not all sunshine and roses!
All that to say, the LMS is a complicated topic with many pros and cons and where the learning environment within which they are embedded is a substantial factor in their success (or failure).