LMS vs PLE

In this blog post I’m going to discuss two different learning systems, namely LMS (learning management systems) and PLE (personal learning environment). According to the video by Stephen Downes that I have recently watched on the YouTube, these are two different learning environments. LMS is a structured system set by an educational institution and it provides systematic and guided learning. Moodle is one example of LMS; it is a kind of repository where the teachers can share information with his/her learners, provide constructive feedback on their progress and monitor their learning process. LMS is widely used by many universities and schools abroad. However, in Armenia this kind of systems are not so widely spread and are used by very few schools. As it is mentioned in the video by Stephen Downes, one major drawback in LMS is the fact that you can benefit from such system as long as you are a student and once you graduate you don’t have an access to your materials. Another shortcoming about LMS is that it is limited to a particular group of learners of that school.

By contrast, PLE provides learners with more freedom. By this I mean learners are free to choose the learning materials and tools that they believe are more effective in their learning process. There is no content restriction. Besides, learners have more freedom in terms of sharing information with whomever they want. Thus, in PLE the circle of learners is much broader than in LMS. You don’t have to be member of that specific group to have an access to the content. Another great advantage in PLE is that you can always have an access to your material even after graduating as it “travels with you”.

Taking into account the advantages of both LMS and PLE, I think, a good educational institution should not limit itself to LMS only. It should find ways of integrating both systems to design an effective course. I think in Armenia, it would be a good idea to have this mixture of systems in all schools and universities. However, this kind of implementation needs careful planning and hard work.