LMS as a text

I recently read a blog posting from a fellow physics teacher and it was asking for a physics textbook that had a number of things in it that are currently online and available. Most of those requests have a free version online somewhere. I think that he has a point about having all of these things available in one place for the students to access simply and efficiently. It was Frank Noschese's blog "My vision for a Physics iBook" that got me thinking of the Learning Management Software (LMS) that I use in my classroom.

I have been talking to my students about the anxiety they feel going into a test and they did not like the LMS (Haiku) that we have. So I got to looking at it over Christmas vacation and did a little housekeeping. I moved some stuff around and made it more intuitive. I also agreed to be more faithful about putting things on the calendar. They agreed to be more faithful about filling in the Wiki that we have for the class. I told them this should be clear enough to study by so that they can use it to review for tests. We do have a text that is web based and a number of them stated they did not even know there was a text.

Now that I have been thinking more about the LMS and how I could use it to better instruct and engage the students, as well as looking at Frank's list of things he wants in a Physics text, I think that an LMS, properly used, is the ideal virtual text book. I have the capability to embed videos and flash, while allowing the students to hold an asynchronous discussion about their experiences. I can utilize the quiz and polling features to get a quick sense of where they are in the class, even for those who do not speak up. I really have a hard time getting some of the students to let me know where they are and therefore, I cannot address their needs properly.

All of this and more can be gotten from a good LMS. Plus the added benefit of allowing the teacher to guide the students through the subject in the path that best works for their class, using the resources that best fits the teachers plan. But the best thing is that the students build the text and the understanding themselves and it is tailored to their needs and class style. So, If you have an LMS and you hate it or you feel that it is not a benefit for your classroom, try taking a look at the things that you are trying to accomplish and the functions of your LMS and I think you may be surprised at how much overlap there is.