EARLIER this week I had the privilege of being invited to give a presentation at the Motheo FET College’s eLearning seminar.
A number of speakers were invited from all over the country to share their thoughts and ideas about eLearning and the various options available for an institution that is in the process of implementing an online component into their learning and teaching.
I must say this gave me quite a few things to think about. If I had to make the decisions, how would I plan, implement and grow such an initiative? Deciding on such a platform to manage all your teaching and learning is quite a daunting task.
I realised this is a situation that many institutions and even some schools now face. How do you implement and sustain such an initiative and how do you get teachers and lecturers to buy into the whole concept?
For any school or other institution wishing to go this path it is vital to investigate both the open source options as well as the proprietary platforms that are available.
Keep in mind that your budget may very well dictate the extent to which you can implement it.
You should look at the human resources you have, how much do they know? Do not rush into it. There are many options available that will most probably do what you want it to do. Going with the most expensive option believing it will work perfectly from day one is not the way to go. You will probably have just as many headaches.
Remember any school can implement a basic learner management system free of charge. There are many options available. Why not take the step and start with just one class?
The Motheo FET College will be taking huge strides in the future, and if what I saw at the seminar is anything to go by, it will be to the advantage of each and every student at their institution.