Thing 18 Talk the Talk

Content Management System (CMS) is designed primarily to manage content of an online course while a Learning Management System (LMS)  is designed primarily to manage a blended learning environment between a traditional classroom with online resources. LMS is a platform to manage the learners.

Schoology is considered a Learning Management System because it provides a platform for managing learners.  It is an instructional platform while a Content Management System is an instructional tool used to present and manage course content. Our county uses OdysseyWare which is an example of a Content Management System.  The content has to be managed to meet the student’s needs. Both provide for adding groups and students, learner collaboration and course or project mapping.

My school system had me do some research on blended learning programs before we chose to go with an asynchronous program called OdysseyWare. I learned at that time the difference between a synchronous and an asynchronous blended learning tool or program. Asynchronous is when a student works at their own pace and communication with their teacher and peers is not in real time. Communication is done in one’s own time for both the student and the teacher. In contrast, a synchronous blended learning program calls for communication in real time. Students can get real time help and instruction. Some programs may offer both asynchronous and on request may also provide synchronous delivery.

23 Things are asynchronous in the aspect that we are working through them at our own pace. While doing them however, we provide student with synchronous blended learning by giving immediate feedback when using a back channel or collaborating on a Google Doc. But for our learning within this TIS program, it is asynchronous.