Differences Between Course Management Systems

Course Management Systems are software programs used to offer classes online. Many types of classes are offered this way, from corporate training within companies to continuing education for professionals in a certain field, from college courses to grade school lessons. So it makes sense that there would be several types of Course Management System as well. Some try to "do it all," to serve every possible type of student. Others are more specialized. The IQity Learning Management Suite is a comprehensive course management system designed specifically for K-12 education. Schools that sign up to use IQity can use the course management system free.

Types of Course Management Systems

Course Management Systems can be purchased as a disk in a box and installed on an individual computer; they can be downloaded as a program over the Internet; or they can be accessed by logging in to a website managed and maintained by the company that provides the software. The latter choice is obviously the easiest. Let's look at the disadvantages of installing a course management system on school computers.

In order for a teacher and a group of students to all have access to the course management system and to class materials, the course management system must be installed on a server maintained by the school's IT staff. Administrators may think this is no problem if the school is already running a server. But keep in mind that students enrolled in virtual classes need to be able to work online at all hours. If a high school student wants to do calculus lessons at midnight, she will need the server to be up and running. The burden of providing 24/7 support for a course management system is more than many schools want to take on.

A second concern is the cost of running the server itself. Servers today are more energy efficient than ever but still generate a lot of heat. Since computer equipment needs to be kept cool, data centers need to be air conditioned year round. It's been estimated that the cost of powering and cooling a data center can be as much as $5000 per square foot annually. Schools should consider this potential cost because they may need several servers if they offer a variety of classes online for which they store course material.

The IQity course management system is accessed by simply logging in. IQity will provide the school a customized site that can be designed with school colors to maintain continuity with other school communications. IQity hosts the course management system and provides all maintenance, as well as an online tutorial that helps teachers and students learn to use the course management system, which is very easy to master.

Is an Open Source CMS Right for You?

One type of course management system is called "open source" because the computer code for the software is freely available. That means programmers can access the code and change it to adapt the course management system to specific needs or preferences. Schools should think carefully before choosing this option. Some programming knowledge is necessary to make adaptations to the source code. Schools may have to hire a programmer to do this for them, or permit teachers to spend time learning to reprogram the course management system. If different teachers change the system to suit their own preferences, it may become difficult for students taking several courses to use the various versions.

IQity's course management system offers teachers the ability to customize their Classroom page without the need for programming knowledge. Teachers can add pictures and messages to their Classroom page easily, creating an interesting and welcoming virtual classroom for students. The Classroom page is also where teachers will post announcements and assignments.

Additional Features

Educators will also want to consider whether to use a stand-alone course management system, or one that comes with additional features. Course management systems designed primarily for corporate training tend to have fewer extra features compared to those intended for use by schools. For example, a human resources director evaluating course management systems does not need to worry about whether it includes an email program because most office workers already have access to email. But schools may want to limit email interaction between students to prevent inappropriate uses such as cyberbullying and cheating. The IQity course management system comes with a closed messaging feature that allows email only between student and teacher.

IQity also offers state-of-the-art educational tools that enhance 21st century learning. They include a webcasting tool that allows the teacher to speak to the students as if they were assembled in a traditional classroom and an electronic whiteboard, called LiveBoard, that lets the teacher illustrate a point.

Another distinct advantage of the IQity course management system is that it comes bundled with Reactor, a learning object repository that teachers can search for standards-aligned class content. By providing high quality educational material for K-12 courses, Reactor offers much more than a stand- alone course management system.

IQity Works for K-12 Educators

IQity 's course management system is designed with K-12 educators in mind, and is successfully supporting virtual schools, online classes, and blended learning environments. To see how IQity can help your school, request an online demonstration led by one of our elearning experts.