Journal 4: Course Management

Course management systems are web-based applications, centering on the provision of courses on-line to individuals, tracking skills and competencies, HR and resource management, content creation and/or delivery of courses, along with administrative features.  They look to enhance the capabilities of the teacher not just in assessment, but allow for interactive learning assignments through the computer.  In a thread I read about was by Mark Frydenberg I learned how to use "wiki's" in course management along traditional programs like WebCT.  A wiki is a website that uses wiki software, allowing the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked Web pages, using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor, within the browser. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites, to power community websites, and for note taking.   Wikis have made their way into the classroom as tools for teams to perform group authoring and collaborative analysis, develop literature reviews for research projects; participate on  signup sheets; summarize readings, post project summaries, communicate with students and create knowledge bases.  I also learned how important submitting assignments electronically through Blackboard Learning Systems has become, not just for easier assessment, but also as a paper saver also.  I also learned about the virtual classroom now available on Moodle, which allows students to do online interactive sessions.