Abstract:

This paper describes the process of combining a new LMS (Learning Management System) and a CMS (Course Management System) to facilitate learning/teaching in an online environment. The new Chancellor of the university decided to incorporate a new LMS system. The benefits derived from using a new LMs system is to enable students and faculty to perform learning and teaching more efficiently and effectively. It was launched for all courses starting on September 2021. The OLIS (Online Learning and Instructional Support) creates templates for every course which provides the skeleton of what needed to be included for the courses in collaboration with the APD (Academic Program Director) and the SME (Subject Matter Expert). All the templates are set up in the LMS for consistency. Faculty who are experts in a particular course are identified and contracted to develop the courses using the current CMS system. The SMEs develop the courses such that there is consistency in the presentation and delivery of each course. A reviewer, usually the academic program director, reviews and approves the developed courses. As soon as approved, the courses prepared under using the CMS will be integrated into the LMS system. The university pays a Technical Fee to the publisher which is charged to enrolled students to get access to the e-book, resources and all graded assignments contained in the CMS system. The CMS process requires the SME to decide the detailed contents to be done by students with specific due dates during the one month period (online 0ne-course-a-month format) that include: (1) Getting Started (Welcome Video and Introduction by faculty and students), (2) instructor resources (instructor companion websites, PPT, Solutions to graded assignments), (3) Course resources (course outline and class calendar, Textbook information, Help desk information and other useful information), (4) Weekly assignments by modules (chapter readings, practice exercise, weekly homework, quizzes, research paper, threaded discussions, group work, and final exam).
The integration of the CMS into the LMS provides efficiency because all graded assignments except the threaded discussions and research paper are automatically graded by the CMS system and recorded in the gradebook. Students appreciate having the assignments graded immediately after completion and solutions are provided to compare and determine the areas where they made mistakes. This process allows faculty to have more time to help students with problems.
Effectiveness is achieved because the Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for the course are divided into 4 weeks and are being achieved by students as they complete the learning modules specified per week. CLOs per week are aligned with the PLOs (Program Learning Outcomes). The courses are asynchronous (available anytime-anywhere around the world) and delivered on a one-course-a-month online format. Six intermediate accounting ACC410A courses taught by the same faculty member were analyzed (using the new LMS system and integrated CMS for classes in Oct. 2021, Jan. 2022, Apr. 2022, Jul. 2022, and Jan. 2023) which resulted to a weighted average Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.01 equivalent to a “B” letter grade which is considered satisfactory since the department’s target GPA for undergraduate accounting courses is 2.75. The integration of the CMS into the LMS indicates efficiency and effectiveness in the learning/teaching process.

Keywords:

LMS, CMS, OLIS, SME online accounting course, effective and efficient teaching.