DIFFERENTIATING LESSONS THROUGH THE USE OF LEARNING MANAGEMENT

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DIFFERENTIATING LESSONS THROUGH THE USE OF LEARNING MANAGEMENT
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Differentiating Lessons through the Use of Learning Management Systems

Nicole Meade-Franklin
University of West Georgia

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Differentiating Lessons Through The Use of Learning Management Systems
Introduction
Learning Management System are used for personalized learning. Some school
systems use LMSs (Learning Management Systems) for the personalization of student learning
in the K-12 education system. LMS gives learners the ability to customize their environment,
including customizable blogs, design themes, personal dashboard, individual learning plans,
ePortfolios, personalized task list and accessibility for special need students. The system
fosters blended learning, assessment, video conferencing, student collaboration, flipped
classroom instruction and an individual plan tools. All of these tools are used in real-time and
are aligned with the Common Core state standards for assignments. Teachers are able to
share lesson plans and unit plans in a learning community of a LMS. The LMS mentioned can
also allow teachers to identify the learning style of a student.
The problem is that no one really knows whether the LMSs that are being used in the
classroom are having a significant difference in student achievement. The data that has been
collected so far will only have the statistics for specific LMSs. This research will have a
comparison on the itsLearning, Schoology and Edmodo for a middle school category. Finding
out this information will subsequently provide data that will determine whether LMS have
increased student test scores. The three LMSs are contrasted in cost, platform interface and
features that are available to the users. All of the LMSs share the same concepts and the use of
a learning platform.
A learning platform allows students and teachers to receive digital content and
multimedia in one place via internet. Teachers are the administrator of their class which allows
the student to send and receive learning activities. Overseeing a learning platform involves
training and technical support. The study will reveal the timeframe for training teachers,
students and administrators. Research will also identify if administrators will have access to
student data and be able to give teacher observations using LMSs.

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Objectives
The term LMS is currently used to describe a number of different educational computer
applications. (Watson, 2007). That term is outdated because LMS is able to use different
applications on one platform. A LMS is the infrastructure that delivers and manages
instructional content, identifies and assesses individual and organizational learning or training
goals, tracks the progress towards meeting those goals, and collects and presents data for
supervising the learning process of organization as a whole. (Szabo & Fletcher, 2002).
Learning Management Systems are utilized in face-to-face, blended and online classrooms.
There is not enough information about which LMS are utilized in the classroom and their
effectiveness in increasing student achievement. Therefore, creating a survey for teachers who
use LMS to deliver and modify lessons will provide data on whether this instructional technology
have increased the achievement of students. The questions that will reveal whether LMS are
enhancing instructions in middle schools are as followed:
1) Which LMS do you use and how often is it used?
2) What do you do to personalize instruction in the LMS?
3) How do you provide assessment?
4) How do you receive homework and assignments from students?
5) What is the grading process for you using the LMS?
6) How are you using the LMS for student collaboration?
7) What are the difficulties and frustrations in using a LMS?
8) What type of training did you receive to become an administrator for the LMS?
9) How are students independently using the LMS?
10) How are administrators using the LMS?
These question are used to determine the academic results of the students using
learning management systems. The results will provide qualitative data on whether this form of
instructions is beneficial to student learning.
Literature Review
A robust LMS should be able to do the following: centralize and automate
administration, use self-service and self-guided services, assemble and deliver learning content
rapidly, consolidate training initiatives on a scalable web-based platform, support portability and
standards, personalize content and enable knowledge reuse. (Ellis, 2009).

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Further investigations has discovered the use of open-source LMS compared to a
proprietary vendor Learning Management System. Some of the common thread between
Moodle LMS and itsLearning LMS are Gradebooks Export to Excel, Community Courses,
Usage Statistics, Student Blogs, Student and Teacher Messaging. Some of the features that
itsLearning has that Moodle doesnt are Common Core Learning Objectives, Real-time Video
Conferencing, Parent User Accounts and multiple responses for quizzes & tests.
A learning management system allows students to download and upload files, participate
in chat and discussion boards, as well as take assessments. Students are also able to view
grades as well as contact the teacher and classmates. An LMS is a step above a classroom
website which is a more static approach to giving classroom information. These systems utilize
tools similar to those that tech savvy students already use outside of the classroom. Although
most educators think of an LMS as being limited to older students it can help younger students
in the elementary grades to organize their work while simultaneously keeping parents in tune
with what is going on in the classroom. An LMS allows teachers to tutor and build skills by
placing reusable learning objects, documents, video, practice exercises, and assessments on
the system. Using an LMS allows parents to review the course curriculum, classroom calendar
and monitor their student's progress. If the instructor posts samples of student work and rubrics,
students and parents can see how other classmates are performing and have a clearer idea of
academic expectations. The use of a learning management system gives the teacher the
opportunity to promote classroom activities and course expectations. However, once an LMS is
implemented there is pressure on the instructor to keep the content up to date and located in
such a way as to be easily found by the students and parents. Once parents and students have
ready access to certain information, for example grades, that information must be kept up to
date. An LMS system also allows for distance learning for students that are out of school due to
illness or suspension. (Water, 2007).

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The use of a learning management system also allows for teacher collaboration at grade
level or by subject in the design of learning objects to post on the system. Given proper planning
time teachers can design thematic units using reusable learning objects and prescriptive
activities for groups of students based on test data. (Water, 2007). The case studies are the
projections of elementary students that use LMS for education instruction under the supervision
of parental guidance.
LEARNING and the management thereof. Adaptive, exploratory, independent,
experiential, and many other forms of effective learning do not require an instructional
managed approach but rather a comprehensive LMS framework. (Phillipo & Krongard, 2012).
This concept is the expressed feeling of most educators that use Learning Management
Systems in the face-to-face, blended or during online instruction. Some educators challenges is
not the use of LMS, but which LMS to choose and which one will ascertain their academic
objectives.
The BLE Group states the most important thing about LMSs is the adoption process.
The new era of learning demands that LMS need to be easy to adopt and use. The LMSs need
to include data and assessment that will customize learning plans for individual students. The
collaboration of student-centric learning will be significant for 21st Century learning. The use of
open source application should be incorporated into LMS to bring down costs. The LMS need
to be interoperable and an enterprise systems that are easily scalable. (BLE Group, 2011)

Methods
This is a Casual-Comparative study resulting in a qualitative research method. The
study is based on three learning management systems being used at different middle schools.
The research will determine the cause and effect of each LMS applied for each group. The

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research used will obtain data from teachers that will participate in a questionnaire. The
participants answers will construct a qualitative summary on which LMS is more successful in
increasing student achievement.
The hypothesis compiled will probably include: (a) which LMS are more frequently used
in the classroom, and (b) if any of the LMS that the teachers school have adopted are
perceived as effective for improving students grade. These problems will be explored in the
casual-comparative study. The study can be first determined if an LMS was the cause and
effect in student achievement.
The casual-comparative design will reveal the different teaching styles that will
contribute to the digital resources used in the LMS.. The groups that participate in this study
cant be manipulated because their answers are authentic. The questions are designed to
record how they use the LMS. The expectations will have similar and contrast answers. The
narrative description will concentrate more on the characterization of the group more than the
similarities of the answers. This data will provide how teachers are using the LMS and the
results that they achieve. This will be helpful to teachers that will like to use a LMS and have a
learning community available to share resources and strategies.
The casual-comparative study will explain the phenomena of interest in LMS. The study
will be unable to investigate a group, but in term will determine student achievement through the
questionnaire of the individual participant. The study will reveal that all strategies may not work,
but this gauge will allow teachers to re-evaluate their resources and assessment strategies.
This study will also explore the use of student data and teacher observation by administrators in
middle level school.
A qualitative methodology will be used to identify the phenomenon the of a Learning
Management System in an educational environment. The group of participants for this study
will be educators using the LMS in middle school grade level. The hypothesis is not quite
formulated, but will involve test scores that are improved by using a LMS. The data collected

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will be collected for every progress and report card date for the school district. The data will be
collected to inquire if test scores have improved with the use of the LMS. The data will be
synthesized into a descriptive summary from discoveries made during the research. The
conclusive interpretation cannot be predicted. The observation of teachers, students and
administrators will determine the conclusive outcome of this research.
Sample
This study will support nonrandom sampling. The study will consist of educators who
teach in Georgia. The educators that will participate in this study will work in a middle school.
The participants will be a 7th grade teacher, an 8th grade teacher and a principal. There will be
three public middle schools within the metropolitan area of Georgia that will participate in this
study. The study will be consistent of students receiving education in a low socioeconomic
school. The distributions size of each of the classes that will participate will range from 20 to 25
students.
Since random sampling is not feasible in this qualitative method, this study will be
continued with replication. Replication will be useful in this study to generalize the finding from
the three teachers that will be using the LMS to teach Science, the three teachers that will use
the LMS to teach Language Arts and three principals that are overseeing the administration of
the school. Each group is considered unique, but they have the same demographic
distributions such as age of the students. The teachers differences will be in age, as well as
their experience in teaching, but they will hold a teaching certificate. The difference of ethnicity
may be a factor for the students in the class, but the study is more like to represent mostly AfroAmerican and Hispanic students that live in the metropolitan area of Georgia.
Instrumentation
The instrument used to collect data from nine teachers is Google form. The teachers will
be broken into a middle school group. In order for the samples to be generalized the researcher
will observe teachers in a face-to-face classroom setting. The teachers that will participate in

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this study will have their teacher certification in Science or Language Arts. There are no
necessary specifications for the principals that will participate in the study.
This interview should reiterate communication tools found in an LMS that allow
instructors to incorporate student-instructor and student-student interaction to the course. (Kats,
Y. 2010). The interviews will determine if students that receive differentiated instruction using
LMS work better independently. The interview will also establish how teachers use these
methods to solve problems in content. The interview will determine if students are able to
communicate with teachers and students through video-conferencing and discussion boards to
ask questions about a subject. The interview will also reflect whether there is an adult to
oversee the students when they are working on a LMS. The questions will result in the
explanation of how students react to timelines for assignments and how assessments are
administered on the LMS. The questions will also be related to the data that is used to create a
personalized dashboard for each student. The interview results will create a narrative
descriptive that will determine whether the LMS are improving the test scores of students.
Data Analysis
The Phenomenological study will rely on the comprehensive description of the use of
LMS in three middle schools in Georgia. Teachers and administrators are considered the expert
informants using an LMS in an education framework. This study primarily relies on the
interaction of the researcher and the teachers / administrators. A working relationship needs to
be developed to have conclusive results. This may take several weeks with constant
communication with participants in the study.
A Longitudinal survey will be utilized to collect data by asking questions of the members
of the selected group. The questions will be open-ended to allow participants to explain their
answers. This technique is used to assure that participants understand the questions that are
asked. They are also able to give their opinion to a subject that has not been addressed. The

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content and format of this instrumental questionnaire will show evidence of validity in this
research.
The data will be analyzed at different points in time in order to study a panel. The panel
study will answer and elaborate on all the questions in the survey. The only foreseen problem in
this study is the loss of members on a panel. If a participant leaves or no longer interested in
being part of the panel study for that school a new participant will have to be selected with the
same criterion of the previous participant.
The generalization of this study will provide proof that the LMS is effective in the three
middle schools that are being observed. The study is expected to give results that will indicate
that middle school students grades are improving with the use of the LMS. The justification in
this generalization is because the use of LMS have been successfully adopted into higher
education since the early 1990s. The generalization of LMS in middle level education cannot
be assumed. Therefore, conclusive evidence will state whether LMS are effective in middle
level school.
Scholarly Significance and Limitation
This research on Learning Management Systems in middles schools will provide
information on whether school official should adopt a learning platform into the curriculum of the
K-12 education system. The results of this study will give a narrative of how teachers are using
digital content and multimedia to teach their classroom subjects. The study will also provide
how teachers are able to modify instruction by using student data in a learning platform that will
give students the opportunity to excel at their own academic pace. This study should also
provide benefits for administrators that are able to decrease paperwork for teacher
observations.
The limitation may come from the panel that is observed and the questions that may be
unable to capture all of the experiences that teachers and administrators face. The external
validity of this research is the generalization that the results will yield the utilization of all or any

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LMS are capable of increasing student achievement. The generalization is deeper than that
because this statement really depends once again on teachers and how they deliver
educational content to their students.
This research is intended to create a format on how to differentiate instruction by
delivering education digital and multimedia content on a singular learning platform.

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Reference
Ellis, R. K. (2009), Field Guide to Learning Management Systems. p. 2
Kats, Y. (2012). Learning Management System Technologies and Software Solutions for Online
Teaching: Tools and Applications. Pia, A. An Overview of Learning Management Systems, p.
3
Phillipo, J. & Krongard, S. (2012). Learning Management System (LMS): The Missing Link and
Great Enabler. p. 3 Retrieved from http://www.celtcorp.com/resources/1/CELT_LMS_Article.pdf
Szabo, M. & Flesher, K. (2002). CMI Theory and Practice: Historical Roots of Learning
Management Systems. Proceedings of World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate,
Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2002 (White Paper) (Montreal, Canada: In M.
Driscoll & Reeves, T. (Eds.)): pp. 929936.
Watson, W.R. (2007). An Argument for Clarity: What are Learning Management Systems, What
are They Not, and What Should They Become?
Waters, J. (2007,March). Curriculum Unbound. T.H.E. Journal,34, 40-48.
BLE Group (2011, September 21) LMS (Learning Management Systems): Current Status and
Trends 2011-2012 Retrieved from http://blegroup.com/lms-learning-management-systemscurrent-status-and-trends-2011-2012/

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Section
Not Evident
I. Introduction (1 page) 3 points
This section should include:
0
Background
Information
not provided.

Statement of the
research problem and
rationale for the study

Information
not provided.

Emerging

Proficient

Exemplary

1
Information
is provided
but is
unclear,
insufficient,
or
irrelevant.
The
research
problem is
stated, but
is unclear,
too
broad/narro
w or
irrelevant.
The
rationale for
the study is
unclear or
weak.

2
Information
is relevant
and
adequate
for the
proposed
study.
The
research
problem is
clearly
stated and
is
researchabl
e. Strong
rationale
provided.
The
rationale
statement
generally
justifies the
research
questions.

3
Information
is relevant,
sufficient,
and clearly
supports the
proposed
study.
The
research
problem is
clearly
stated,
relevant,
and
researchabl
e. Rationale
is extremely
clear,
compelling,
and clearly
supports the
research
questions.
There is a
clear link
between the
rationale
and the
research
questions.

1
Purpose is
not clearly
described.
Goals are
stated but
are unclear,
irrelevant,
or too

2
Purpose is
clearly
described.
Goals are
realistic,
adequately
stated and
generally

3
Exceptionall
y clear in
purpose.
Goals are
realistic,
clearly
stated, and
clearly

Objectives (1 page) 3 points

Purpose

0
The goals are
not stated.

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broad/narro
w.
Research Questions
and Hypotheses/
Propositions

Definitions of key
concepts used in the
research questions

Information
not provided
or no basis
for
judgment.

Key
concepts/ter
ms are not
defined.

Questions/
hypotheses/
propositions
are missing,
weak, or
unclear.
Questions
not of
sufficient
scope or are
not feasible.

Definitions
for key
concepts/ter
ms are
provided but
are
inaccurate
or unclear.

aligned with
the research
problem.
Generally,
questions
have proper
scope, are
realistic,
feasible,
and
adequately
phrased.

aligned with
the research
problem.
Research
questions
are clear,
concise,
feasible, of
proper
scope, and
answer the
purpose.
Each
research
question is
correctly
phrased,
and
addresses
only one
aspect of
the research
problem.

Definitions
for key
concepts/ter
ms are
provided
and
generally
adequate.

All key
concepts/ter
ms are
clearly
defined/
explained.

2
Some
evidence of
satisfactory
knowledge
with limited
critical
review of
the relevant
literature,

3
Evidence of
sound
knowledge
and critical
review of
the
literature
relevant to
the study.

Literature Review (2 pages) 3 points

Criteria:
Critical review of literature
Relevance
Conceptual/Theoretical
framework
Alignment

0
Information
is not
provided,
irrelevant,
incomplete,
and or
inaccurate.

1
Findings
from leading
researchers
are included
with
minimal
critical
commentary
.

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Cited
literature
may not be
relevant to
the study.

but with
gaps and or
omissions.
Conceptual/
theoretical
framework
is included;
however it
is not fully
developed
or justified.

Developed a
clear,
appropriate,
and justified
conceptual/
theoretical
framework
for the
research.

Methods (1.5 pages) 16 points

Type of study and research
design

0
No selection
or
justification
of research
approach
and design.

1
Research
approach
and design
are unclear,
inappropriat
e, or
underdevelo
ped.

2
Research
approach
and design
minimally
address the
research
questions
and goals.

Sampling

0
Little or no
evidence of a
sampling
procedure.

1
Limited
evidence of
an
appropriate
sampling
procedure.

2
Reasonable
evidence of
a feasible
sampling
procedure.

1
Information
is limited or
instrumenta
tion is
inadequate.

2
Instrumenta
tion is
described
and can
provide the
information
needed to
respond to

Instrumentation

No
information
provided.

3
Research
approach
and design
are realistic,
feasible,
clearly
described,
and aligned
with the
research
questions
and goals.
3-4
Sampling
procedure is
optimally
chosen, fully
justified,
and
feasible.
3-4
Instrumenta
tion is
optimally
chosen,
clearly
described,
and
feasible.

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Data Analysis

0
Little or no
evidence of a
data analysis
plan.

1
Limited
evidence of
an
appropriate
data
analysis
plan.
The
description
of data
analysis
procedures
is
incomplete
or contains
inaccuracies
.
Criteria for
the
interpretatio
n of results
are incorrect
or are not
provided.

the research
question(s).
2-3
Reasonable
evidence of
a realistic
data
analysis
plan.
A general
description
of the data
analysis
procedures
is provided.
Criteria for
the
interpretatio
n of results
are
incomplete.

4-5
Clear
evidence of
applying
appropriate
data
analysis
procedures,
which
adequately
address
research
questions
and goals.
Procedures
are
adequately
described.
The type of
results
provided by
these
methods is
indicated
and criteria
for
interpretatio
n are fully
and
accurately
explained.

Scholarly Significance and Limitations (1/2 pages) 3 points

Criteria:
Practical and
theoretical implications
Limitations

0
No
information
provided.

1
Minimal
recognition
of the
contribution
s and
limitations
of the study.

2
Recognition
of some
contribution
s and/or
limitations
of the study.

3
Recognition
and
adequate
explanation
of the
practical
and

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theoretical
contribution
s and
limitations
of the study.
Presentation and Writing - 2 points
Criteria:
Clarity
Writing mechanics
APA

Total:

/30

0
Generally
poor use of
English
characterize
d by
numerous
errors,
unclear,
incorrect
and/or
illogical
statements.

1
Reasonably
clear and
correct use
of English
characterize
d by
generally
clear
expression,
with
relatively
few
imprecise
and/or
incorrect
statements.

2
Clear and
correct use
of English
characterize
d by a clear
style of
expression,
with few
imprecise
and/or
incorrect
statements.