Abstract:

Exponential growth of the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has brought significant changes in the learning process and e-learning opportunities. With the emergence of computers in education, the focus has been shifted from teacher-centred to learner- centred. Learning Management System (LMS) refers to software support that provides fully automation of administration and monitoring of learning and teaching process. It offers different features regarding organization and distribution of learning content, course management, student assessment, communication and collaboration tools, administration of instructional institutions and even may address different needs and concerns as far as pedagogy, open learning and instructional design are concerned. The LMS development strategy, except the usage of different technologies, involves database design based on a chosen type of database management. The database design refers to conceptual, logical and physical structure of a database in a given database management system. It should contain all the information required by the user, all the information essential for the attribute selection or for the process of identifying which variables or factors in the data model are significant contributors in supporting and facilitating adaptive behaviour.

The research objectives are:
- To explore top rated Open Source LMSs and their Relational Database Models;
- To compare the above mentioned LMSs and their modules for adaptive learning, specifically adaptive assessment activity;
- To identify whether any of these LMSs could become a research LMS, with the possibility to extract the items from data set that could be used by the extension and that would add adaptability into learning process.

This paper gives basic theoretical framework of the brief history and definition of e-learning, LMS, data modelling and ERD. According to the available literature, an overview of the database structure of several open source LMS and comparison of modules for adaptive learning is provided. By analysing top five open source LMSs - Moodle, Totara, Chamillo, Canvas and open EDx, we found that they have developed various functions for incorporation of adaptive learning features into their system.

We found that data from assessment, content (lesson), quiz and discussion module could be of significant matter from the perspective of necessity for linking LMS data with data stored by extension that provides adaptability to LMS. Planning of data resources is crucial process of data modelling (ERD) with the aim to build shared data resources. By reviewing data resources that were used in ensuring adaptability to LMSs, new items could be implemented and used in providing adaptive functionality.

With a growing need for adaptive learning experience, the design and development of LMSs has become an extensive project which involves database design with a necessity of detailed identification regarding data requirements, more precisely administrative, instructional, content (lesson) and learner-based data. The effective planning of data resources and building shareable database enables quality information management and system’s integration with extensions responsible for adaptivity.

Keywords:

Learning management system (LMS), data model, adaptability, entity relationship diagram (ERD).