Edu-Smart Learning Management System with Iterative Model and Appreciative Inquiry for Distance Learning

The dynamic business environment and powerful market forces in the 21st century are challenging leaders at open universities to compete successfully in the national and global higher education stage. The notion of quality is becoming an important and overriding issue with the paradigm shift in the education landscape due to the rapid penetration of Internet usage. Open universities are experiencing pressure from numerous stakeholders to become more client-focused, particularly in their provision of technology-enhanced education to systematically support the learning experience of open distance learners. In the pursuit of establishing institutional and national/regional-based quality assurance practices, Asian open universities should pay particular attention to one of the key components within the overall QA framework; that is, the web-based teaching and learning on the online learning management system (LMS). The assurance of quality in the web-based teaching and learning component is vital to support the effective and efficient delivery of open and distance education within the blended approach adopted by many open universities. In this study, the authors first examine the dimensions of quality assurance of key services that are closely associated with web-based education in the online LMS of Wawasan Open University (WOU). The authors then analyse the pattern of interactions in the LMS to determine the actual activities of learners in the web-based environment. By synthesising the findings, indicators that address diverse facets and components of quality relevant to web-based teaching and learning in the LMS are identified. The authors then discuss the application of the quality components within the overall QA framework in WOU to further enhance the quality of its web-based teaching and learning component. Assessment of learners' satisfaction in WOU is carried out to determine the effectiveness of the QA components in the LMS. The QA components identified in the web-based teaching and learning within the LMS are then recommended to Asian open universities for integration into their overall QA framework.

The current COVID-19 pandemic which was initially reported to have occurred on December 2019 in Wuhan, China has affected many countries and disrupted how people function in their daily lives. Beyond its impact on health and business, the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected educational systems across the globe. For instance, the World Bank reported on April 2020 that more than 160 countries have mandated temporary closures of schools affecting more than 1 billion learners (World Bank, 2020). A global survey research by the International Association of Universities (IAU, 2020) reported that almost all higher education institutions (HEIs) from the 109 countries which participated in the survey responded that their operations were affected by the pandemic, including teaching and learning. In the same report, results indicated that two-thirds of the participating HEIs reported that face-to-face classroom learning was replaced by distance learning. In a national survey conducted by the American Council on Education (ACE) with college and university presidents in the United States, the following were considered as the most pressing issues: "enrollment numbers, future financial viability, sustaining an online learning environment, laying off of faculty and/or staff, and mental health of students" (ACE, 2020, p.1). In a special issue of Higher Education in Southeast Asia and Beyond (HESB), the impact of COVID-19 on HEIs in Asian countries like China, South Korea, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam were discussed. These include discussions on the impact of the pandemic on global student mobility, student assessment, and educational policies, among others (HESB, 2020). In the Philippines, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the need to impose various levels of community quarantines across the country. With the enactment of RA 11469 (2020), otherwise known as the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, the Philippine Government, through its Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) has set community quarantine guidelines to cushion the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the country (IATF, 2020). The quarantine includes strict implementation of safety and health protocols such as physical and social distancing, and closure of non-essential businesses/establishments and schools. The restrictions of the community quarantine and the continuing threat of the pandemic on Filipinos' health and security resulted in the need to delay the opening of all public basic education schools for about four months, whereas some public and private HEIs delayed their opening of classes to various dates. For both basic education and higher education institutions, the shift to flexible learning delivery was mandated by the Philippine Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as face-to-face learning was prohibited by the Philippine government. The imperative to shift to a new learning delivery mode came from CHED which instructed Philippine HEIs to open their classes in August, but regular face-to-face instruction would not be allowed (Rocamora, 2020). Moreover, the agency pushed for a flexible learning arrangement that focuses on design and delivery of programs, courses, and learning interventions needed to address learners’ unique needs in terms of pace, place, process, and products of learning (Cervantes, 2020). These flexible learning arrangements needed new learning management systems, capacity-building or training of faculty members, and repositories for flexible learning resources. The shift to flexible learning delivery was needed in spite of issues with remote or online learning like differences in access to various remote modalities of learning due to differences in socioeconomic status among students (Simbulan, 2020).

In the world of education, during the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and colleges were not allowed to do face-to-face learning directly or often called offline at schools or campuses. All teaching and learning processes must be carried out online at home. One alternative to this policy is by applying the Distance Learning (PJJ) method where teachers or students cannot meet face to face directly. PJJ currently carried out is online (in a network) through internet-based media. At the senior high school / vocational school / Islamic Senior High School level PJJ is carried out using a Learning Management System (LMS), which is a system that can manage, convey, and monitor students using an internet-based application. Not enough with LMS, WhatsApp social media using the Group feature is also one of the supports in the successful implementation of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research on the Effectiveness of Distance Learning (PJJ) using learning media Learning Management System (LMS) and WhatsApp Group was conducted at senior high school 1 Cipeundeuy, Subang, Indonesia.

Online education has become the norm for higher education institutions (HEIs) during this COVID-19 pandemics. HEIs are required to implement a fully online learning system that is structured and readily accessible with the assistance of a learning management system (LMS), including in developing countries such as the Philippines. This study aims to assess factors that positively influence the perceived satisfaction of engineering students when using the LMS during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. Additionally, it aims to integrate two models: Task Technology Fit (TTF) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), with added variables such as the content of the learning management system, social presence, and social space. Upon deploying the convenience sampling, a total of 1011 engineering students responded in the online survey, which consisted of 81 questions. Structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that the Task Technology Fit was positively influenced by technology, individual, and task characteristics. Moreover, behavioral intention to use LMS was positively influenced by perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Furthermore, Task Technology Fit had a significant direct effect on behavioral intention to use LMS, which subsequently led to perceived satisfaction. This study is among the first to explore factors affecting perceived satisfaction among engineering students in using the LMS in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. To evaluate the perceived satisfaction of students in using the learning management system, future works can be extended and the model can be applied in other countries.

Online education is growing rapidly. Online education is a Web-based form of education where students gain access to online materials and communicate with instructors and other students. There are four distinguishing characteristics that separate it from e-learning and other modes of learning (Paulsen, 2003). First, there is a physical separation of teachers and learners in online education. This differentiates it from face-toface education. Second, online education is regulated or instituted by an educational organization, hence disqualifying it from the self-study mode of learning. Third, educational content is distributed over a computer network, unlike e-learning, which includes educational content distributed by CD-ROMS and DVD-ROMS. Fourth, students and instructors communicate with each other over a computer network. There is a twoway flow of information which is not always available in e-learning. Indeed, the communicative element is a unique feature of online education and is an extension of the individualized experience of earlier technologies (Piccoli, Ahmad, & Ives, 2001). Not solely an interaction between the student and the system, online education allows communication between peers and instructors and even collaborative learning communities. Online education also provides high levels of student control and supports participant contact and interaction continuously during the learning process. There are different levels of “onlineness” (Hosie & Schibeci, 2005). The most basic level is Web supplemented. It is optional for students to interact with the education content, and to communicate with instructors and other students. These online learning resources are a component in addition to their face-to-face learning. The intermediate level is Web dependent. Students need to participate online as part of the course requirement, besides some face-to-face component. Students should utilize the online education content, which includes course descriptions, study guides, examination details, assessment overview, reading lists, and online quizzes. Also, students are expected to interact with lecturers and peers by participating in the online discussion forum or other computer-mediated communications (CMC). This is the most popular form of online education today. The advanced level is fully online. This final level requires no face-to-face meetings with the students. Education content, learning activities, assessment, and support services can only be referred to vis-à-vis the computer network. Distance education could occur in this manner, but the term “distance education” also includes the use of other types of media which may not be electronic. Online education is supported by various systems. The core system in most educational institutes is the learning management system or the virtual learning environment. Learning management systems grant access to online learning resources for students and instructors; they register users, provide communication tools for users, manage courses, evaluate learners, and provide administrative reports (Paulsen, 2003). They can be commercial software like Blackboard or developed in-house. Online education can also require library and digital resources, learner support services, accounting, security, the Internet and e-commerce technology, which may be integrated with the core system Online educational technologies can be categorized into synchronous or asynchronous. Synchronous applications require users to be available at the same time. They include networked group decision support systems (GDSS), e-meetings, e-conferences, and features like whiteboards, text-based chat, and video conferencing. Asynchronous technologies are time independent and comprise discussion boards or Web boards, document repositories, Web logging, podcast audio content, and Web cast lectures.

Aim/Purpose: The purposes of this research are to analyze online learning management activities conducted by the principals of junior high schools in Indonesia in facing COVID-19 as well as to discuss their perspective and expectations towards online learning activities when facing COVID-19 and after COVID-19 has passed. Background: Due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indonesian Minister of Education and Culture instructed that teaching and learning activities for all levels of education in Indonesia must be carried out online from home. There have been comprehensive reports about the various forms of online learning, its effects on students, the challenges, the learning transition from offline to online, and teachers’ views on this new approach. Very few, if any, focus on how principals act upon the transition during this COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this research focuses on how principals overcome various problems that arise in the implementation of online learning activities. Methodology: As many as 309 principals of junior high school from twelve districts in Indonesia were asked to give their responses to a set of questionnaires. The reliability of the questionnaire was analyzed using Cronbach’s Alpha with the help of SmartPLS 3.0 software. The percentage was mainly used in the descriptive analysis. To obtain the influence among variables, the statistical inferential analysis was used. Contribution: Although the sample size of this research is limited, the results may contribute to the existing theory and practice related to the implementation of online learning in Indonesia. The findings of this research could be a guide for principals to manage online learning in the future. Findings: The data analysis showed that the constructs of organizing and monitoring-evaluation were found to play an important role as a mediator between the variables of planning with implementation of principal management in online learning. Path analysis demonstrated that the implementation variable was significantly influenced by the variables of planning, organizing and monitoring-evaluation, with a contribution value of 78.20%. Thus, it indicated that the planning, organizing and monitoring-evaluation variables contributed directly or indirectly to the implementation of principal management in online learning. Generally, the online learning management activities conducted by the principals of junior high schools in Indonesia have been carried out well, especially in the Implementing aspect. However, the aspects of Planning, as well as Monitoring and Evaluation, still need to be improved. Recommendations for Practitioners: The government is recommended to provide adequate online learning supporting facilities as well as to facilitate teachers to increase insight and knowledge in terms of technology use, especially in designing, implementing, and providing assessments of online learning. So far, the government has provided some facilities and conveniences to principals and teachers. However, some information and ICT related trainings from the government during the COVID-19 pandemic is not widely known by the principals and the teachers. Socialization about these is needed. Recommendation for Researchers: This work offers a theoretical understanding of the problems faced by school principals in facing COVID-19. Further research on how principals and teachers manage online learning activities needs to be carried out to solve various problems which might arise during the process of implementation. Impact on Society: This research suggests that the principals in Indonesia have good online learning management. However, to reach the stated learning objectives efficiently and effectively, the principals need to collaborate with the teachers as the main facilitators of the teaching and learning process. Cooperation with parents is also highly recommended. Future Research: Further research should focus on how the application of online learning can improve students’ achievement through good management and collaboration with teachers, other administration staff at schools, and parents.

Learning Management Systems (LMS) have become ubiquitous tools in support of both classroom and distance education programming. They bring significant advantages that digitize and automate many of the functions and pedagogical activities of traditional campus teaching. At the same time social networks have become ubiquitous tools for communication, entertainment and informal learning by both students and teachers. In this article we examine the characteristics, strengths and limitations of both toolsets and the ways in which innovative distance educators are attempting to merge the best qualities of each. We conclude with a case study of one such integration from Athabasca University in Canada.

The research and advice in Evaluating Online Teaching (2015) covered the range of then-possible online instructional scenarios — what we might nowadays call ‘traditional’ online spaces such as learning management system (LMS) shells that afforded a highly mediated and structured range of possible interactions among instructors, learners and the tool sets within those spaces. Largely asynchronous, online teaching left a clear trail of observable phenomena. Announcement posts, discussion threads and comments on student work were all captured in the LMS space. At the time of publication, we worried that such a cornucopia of observable data points would lead to ‘analysis paralysis’, and we advised observers of online teaching to limit their observations to one unit or online session, much as an on-ground observer might observe only one or two class periods of live class time. We now find ourselves in an instructional world where the bounded environment of the LMS seems almost simple. Especially as a result of the emergency remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, the possible permutations and definitions of ‘online teaching’ have exploded. For those of us tasked with observing, evaluating, crediting and critiquing the teaching that happens at our institutions, we can no longer assume that looking in one ‘place’ — whether that is a classroom, an LMS shell or a Zoom recording of a live remote session — will afford us a representative sample of the teaching practices and behaviours that instructors exhibit. This best-practice paper outlines what has changed in technology-supported and technology-mediated teaching and offers ways to observe and assess online teaching that are consistent, equitable and fair.

This study aims to reveal the strengths and limitations of the WhatsApp application as a support service in distance education, conducted through a learning management system during the Covid-19 pandemic, and make suggestions on improving its use in this capacity. Despite the lack of readiness on the part of the students and the lack of sufficient knowledge regarding distance education during the pandemic, many universities had to revert to emergency remote teaching. This situation necessitated the intensive use of various support services for the students to get the most out of their emergency remote teaching However, their lack of experience with distance education prevented them from using the support services offered by learning management systems. Due to the increasingly widespread use of mobile technologies, one of the support services used by course instructors became the WhatsApp application. The following research is a qualitative case study. The sample for the study was determined through purposive sampling. The data was analyzed using the content analysis method. Nvivo qualitative data analysis software was used to contribute to the detailed and versatile data analysis. The most important results of the study were that the application supported and strengthened distance learning by allowing instant communication, but that the absence of a moderator caused various limitations in this communication. In addition, it was concluded that incorporating natural language processing techniques into learning management systems and clearly stated rules by course instructors improved the use of such instant communication applications as a support service for distance education.

The development of e-learning is developing because of the demands of learning methods that require innovation in improving learning, so that students are not bored and not monotonous in the learning process. Therefore it is applied or the emergence of various learning systems based on e-learning which is one of the learning models that supports learning based with information technology (IT). The purpose of this study is to analyse and compare several Learning Management Systems (LMS) in the scope of vocational education. LMS is a software application for online activities, electronic learning programs (e-learning programs) and training content. With the advent of various e-learning systems one of them is LMS. Learning Management System is expected to make students more independent, creative and facilitate the implementation of learning that can be done anywhere and anytime. In addition, online learning also makes it easy to control student assignments. LMS has the scope of administration, delivery of material, assessment, monitoring, and communication. Materials in pedagogic and professional competencies, which are made with multimedia packaging (text, animation, video, sound) in the LMS will accelerate (accelerate) mastery of science and technology.

Distance learning increases access to learning opportunities to the people in different geographical areas, ages and different learning capabilities. Learning management system (LMS) is a web-based tool used to manage implement, and assess online learning and teaching which is suitable for distance environment. LMS provides instructors a platform to create and deliver the course content, assess learners performance and monitor learner involvement. On the other hand, LMS provide the students with ability to access lecture notes, and use communication and interactive features in their learning activities. This study examined the factors that influence distance learning student’s and instructor’s acceptance and use of LMS and tests the applicability of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A survey was conducted to higher education students and instructors who involved in distance learning instruction. This study used a set of questionnaire which was developed based on TAM three factors which are Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use and Behavioral Intention to Use. The finding of the survey has shown high acceptance level on LMS among distance learners and instructors. In addition, a regression analysis has revealed that perceived ease of use of the system give a significant impact on perceived usefulness. Furthermore, the Perceived Usefulness of the LMS has led to high Behavioral Intention to Use more than Perceived Ease of Use of LMS among learners. On the other hand, Perceived Ease of Use influences the instructor Behavioral Intention to Use of LMS more than Perceived Usefulness. In addition, the analysis also confirmed that Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness have positive effect on Behavioral Intention to Use in both users.

Background: Along with the evolving demands of the business world today, there are increasing challenges in non-formal economic education to address the need for fostering young entrepreneurs in Indonesia. To date, existing non-formal economic education processes have yet to adequately accommodate learners' needs for hands-on learning experiences (learning by doing). Objective: This study aims to develop a Learning Management System (LMS) by applying gamification methods to support non-formal economic education. The use of gamification is expected to enhance learners' motivation and engagement in the learning process, enabling them to achieve the desired competencies. Method: The development method used is ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation). The analysis phase identifies user needs and learning materials. In the design phase, gamification elements such as points, badges, leaderboards, and quests are structured to improve user interaction. The development phase produces an LMS prototype with gamification features using the Moodle framework. Implementation was conducted among micro-entrepreneurs, with excellent acceptance rates. Evaluation through questionnaires and learning tests demonstrated increased motivation and comprehension of economic concepts through gamified simulations within the LMS. Results: The findings prove that a gamified LMS is effective in supporting non-formal economic education. Conclusion: The study concludes that gamification in LMS can serve as an innovative solution to enhance engagement and learning outcomes in non-formal education, particularly in economics. Future research should explore adaptive learning features to personalize the learning experience.

The global crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic paved the way for a new normal. As a result, the higher education system has opted for a delivery model based on flexible learning. To help with the implementation of flexible learning, Google Classroom was used. Google Classroom, as learning management system, is part of the online Google Apps for Education suite of productivity applications for teachers and students in flexible learning. The goal of this study is to assess the perception and satisfaction of college education students on Google Classroom as a teaching and learning tool. This research employed a descriptive method, with the students responding to an online survey questionnaire. The sample for this study was drawn using stratified random sampling and Slovins' formula was used to determine the number of samples drawn from the total population, which consisted of 321 students enrolled during the first semester of the school year 2021–2022. In order to answer research questions frequency count, average, percentile, and inferential statistics such as the independent-samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were used. The findings from the survey showed that majority of the college education students agreed that Google Classroom is easy to access, useful, supports communication and interaction and instruction delivery in flexible learning. When asked about their level of satisfaction, the respondents were very satisfied with the Google Classroom as instructional medium for teaching and learning. Moreover, results revealed that Google Classroom supports flexible language learning through the following: (a) assists them in completing their assignments on time; (b) helps them to be interactive in participating and engaging in fruitful discussion; and (c) motivates students to manage time. Therefore, it occurs that Google Classroom, as an educational interactive tool, has the potential to contribute to the effective delivery of flexible language teaching and learning. Furthermore, an independent sample t-test revealed that there is no statistically significant difference of the respondents’ perceptions on the utilization of Google Classroom when grouped according to their profile. In addition, one-way Anova analysis of the data revealed no statistically significant differences in student perceptions and satisfaction when classified by profile. On the other hand, when the respondents' courses are taken into consideration, there is a statistically significant difference in their satisfaction with Google Classroom. This study concludes that Google Classroom as instructional medium for teaching and learning contributes to effective flexible learning. It is recommended that professional development and capacity-building programs in college majors and courses should be tailored to the current teaching and learning environment and also to help the transition into other learning management systems used in higher education, undergraduate students should be exposed to free web-based learning applications like Google Classroom.

This study aims to examine the use of E-learning based on LMS for college students with special needs during the Covid-19 pandemic. The method used in this research is a literature study, where the researcher collects relevant data to support the researcher’s ideas. Based on the literature review results, the use of E-Learning based on LMS Edmodo, Schoology, and Learnboost has the same effectiveness despite having different levels of ease of use. Meanwhile, the most frequently used E-Learning based on LMS at the university level is Moodle. In its utilization, E-learning based on LMS has five standard features. So that these five features can be used optimally by students with special needs during the Covid-19 pandemic, things that need to be considered are: (1) particular guidelines for the use of E-Learning based on LMS are available for college students with special needs; (2) audio is available that can be used by college students with visual impairments, (3) sign language is available as an interface so that college students can access it with hearing impairments, (4) available text on lecturer materials in the form of video or audio so that it can be accessed by college students with hearing impairments, (5) there is a virtual keyboard feature available in E-Learning based on LMS which allows college students with physical and motor disabilities to use the mouse to type or do other activities on the computer, (6) the features available in E-Learning based on LMS are designed to accept voice input.

Education advances every day, and one such advancement is the Learning Management System (LMS) which has been used in various countries worldwide. It gained greater impetus when online education came into the picture in 2020 globally to the entry of COVID-19. However, LMS is still an unexplored topic in some regions of the world. This paper aims to spell out how the inclusion of LMS can provide an easy imparting of education and a very convenient way of transferring knowledge so that the institutes not exposed to such experience could know about this. LMS helps instructors manage all academic activities from anywhere, anytime, as it is online-integrated software designed to support education online or offline. This paper intends to enlist the usefulness of one such LMS called Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (Moodle), an e-learning platform that facilitates impactful teaching and learning. Instructors and students who have used Moodle are interviewed in a semi-formal way. The descriptive methodology was used to identify the highlights of the responses. The results of this study bring the effectiveness of Moodle into the limelight so that institutions adopt it to enhance the teaching process in effective learning. Hence, it lists the limitations of Moodle where the scope for development exists and intends to recommend to educationists to invest in LMS to contribute toward the holistic development of 21st-century education.