How can faculty receive effective technical support for the learning management system?

Learning Management System can be very exciting and frustrating at the same time. The latter can happen especially when you have no clue as to how to navigate through it. In my experience with the National Open University of Nigeria, the Directorate of Online Education always provide training before the start of the semester. This training is recorded and it’s always hands-on, giving facilitators the rudiments of navigating through the LMS. The recordings are shared with all facilitators therefore enabling them to watch after the training for better understanding. Besides, each College has a technical support staff attached to it and if there are glitches, they are readily available to resolve same. This allows for hitch-free learning.

Usually, the teaching & learning department of the school should also be able to provide training, support and guidance using the LMS. Regarding LMS settings such as terms, enrollment, and Student Information System (SIS) integrations, that may fall under the IT department. Schools may also utilize Single Sign-On (SSO) for users to sign into applications and LMS platforms using the school login information. There are also Multi-Factor Authentications (MFA) tied to the school login such as schools that employ Microsoft work/school accounts. The school may deploy a ticketing system to handle troubleshooting requests and will refer to the correct personnel/department depending on the issue.

Best way to.learn is from those who already have gone through the cycle. No point reinventing the wheel. Simply pair up with a colleague who has experience and you will not only learn how to use the LMS, but shortcuts, irrelevant features, manage expectations, etc. Saves a world of time from reading manual guides that tend to be quite general and often do not directly answer your questions. So, next time, think of spending some quality time with a colleague as experience cannot be bought off a shelf.

Engaging in peer support within the academic community is crucial for effective technical assistance, especially concerning Learning Management System (LMS) utilization. By connecting with experienced faculty members through online forums, social media groups, or institution-based Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs), educators can exchange valuable insights, seek advice, and collectively tackle challenges. This collaborative approach fosters a culture of shared learning and empowers individuals to enhance their LMS proficiency. Through mutual knowledge exchange and collaborative problem-solving, educators can optimize their use of LMS platforms, ultimately improving teaching effectiveness and student learning outcomes.

Peer support from the same LMS users can be more useful either from inside or outside places. Again here,the same functional group can be more useful. It can be categorised as -community learning.

External resources can be more useful when they are about the same LMS. Invite external resources persons for talks/demonstrations at our place and let them explain how they started/used/trained people for using the LMS.

LMS itself may be selected based on the choice of available faculty and technical team's opinions. Before going for a particular LMS, the faculty and staff can have enough demonstration and suitability for their team depending on the content and student profile and their likely need and convenience for a particular LMS

Developing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the workflow of a Learning Management System (LMS) involves creating a detailed process that everyone in the organization can follow to ensure the effective use and management of the LMS. This includes guidelines for course creation, user management, data analysis, and maintenance.

Working with your LMS team and taking advantage of any and all training they provide is key to successfully operating your university’s LMS. Developing relationships with your LMS team is also important. I always make sure to thank them and praise them as often as possible.