Personally better…? Analysing Moodle learning management system as a platform of cooperative education

Abstract

Until 2012 a wide range of Hungarian universities have implemented different kinds of learning management systems (LMS). These frameworks and their applications allow teachers and students to widen their opportunities for common activities as well as non-personal communication and participation: group work, projects, online examinations, gathering common knowledge etc. However, using and utilizing an LMS requires a wide range of competences, thus its usage is a great challenge both for teachers and students. A national-scoped research in Hungary in 2012 (sponsored by one of the Hungarian informatics consulting companies) showed a – more or less – surprising partial result. Considering the so called ‘Moodle’ LMS, most of the students in two large universities taking part in the research claimed that they absolutely prefer personal contact with their teachers as well as with each other. Interviews made with teachers also showed that the solely online led courses have to face the problem of uncontrollability and the weird feeling of loneliness (students categorically demanded contact lectures in case of online courses). Does this effect only depend on the ergonomic structure of the LMS, or is it all about our human nature? The second crucial exploration of this research was the problem of opened and closed information flow as well as integrated platforms. Most of the users do not know whether their works would be available after several years or will it be vanished during the years. They also do not understand why not to integrate learning management systems into widely used opened social media platforms. What kind of problems may this cause? What resolution could be found? All these questions are to be discussed in this paper.