Course management systems (CMS) and learning management systems (LMS) have proven to be successful by organizations. What criteria determine if an organization should purchase or build these systems is analyzed from this week’s reading assignment.
To build a workable LMS system would take a year and a half and a minimum of $200,000 to half a million dollars. That cost is only for the creation of the system. After the system had been created then it would need to be maintained and updated, which would require a crew of paid personnel. This adds to the cost of the system. Kruse lays out a detailed format to use during the evaluation process of what is cost effective for a company when selecting a system (2004).
A CMS or LMS system could be purchased for a set price but would this be the most effective step? Companies and organizations first evaluate what functions they would need within a system. If the needs were less than what was offered within a CMS or LMS system then that company would evaluate the cost of the system compared to the functions that would be used. What it boils down to is a company’s research on what CMS or LMS systems are available and would these systems work for what a company wants to accomplish? If the answer is “no” then a company may choose to have a system created specifically for their use.
Reference:
Kruse, K. (2004). Measuring the total cost of e-learning. Retrieved September 9, 2010, from http://www.e-learningguru.com/articles/art5_2.htm
Collette,
ReplyDeleteIndeed a lot of thought goes into these learning platforms! Not to mention cash and personnel. Thanks for your breakdown of this article.
I also like your choice of image posted! Nerdy, yet cute. =)
Collette you were able to sum this article up in a concise and easy to understand format. I often wish there were more writers like you in the world when it comes to explaining technical aspects of technology and education.
ReplyDeleteThe costs of implementing online training in the public school systems would only be feasible if it were to replace an existing system. I cannot imagine any public schools could add an online system at the current funding level. The difficult part about the public school system and change is that it traditionally takes a long time. The concept of education has more or less remained the same since it started. Hopefully we will become part of the changes for the future.