Dear Educators; Bootstrap for LMS

Pushing the LMS - Part 2

In Part 1 of our series, Dear Educators; Learn HTML, we discussed the basics of content-centric HTML and how understanding this foundational programming language can transform the way educators can implement curriculum content the Learning Management Systems (LMS). Building on that knowledge, we take the next step and explore Bootstrap, a powerful web design framework that many websites (including various LMS platforms such as Moodle) use to seamlessly power components of the design and interactivity.

Capture the attention of your learner by easily creating a button using a few lines of code. Learning Management Systems built leveraging the Bootstrap Framework can be accessed with the use of some very simple HTML code additions allowing educators access to many design and functional options to elevate your curriculum in the LMS.

What is the Bootstrap Framework?

Bootstrap is an open-source framework built using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript to simplify the process of web design and development. It allows web designers to quickly and easily create responsive, mobile-first web elements that enhance both visual appeal and functionality. In simple terms, it helps make websites look clean and work smoothly across different devices—desktop, tablet, or mobile. It’s the backbone of the sleek, modern user interfaces you use on a daily basis. And if the LMS uses Bootstrap, you can harness its design and functionality capabilities for your own course material.

Being able to leverage Bootstrap’s capabilities within course webpages empowers educators to create uniformity and polish that might otherwise be difficult to achieve using the LMS editor or other 'hacks'. Bootstrap empowers educators to build create content that creates visual consistency, making course material engaging and easier for students to interact with.

Why Use Bootstrap?

As an educator, your focus is on curriculum delivery, but you also want to provide your students a seamless experience that captures their attention and compliments the LMS functionality. Bootstrap allows you to achieve this by offering predefined classes and elements you can use without being an expert in CSS or HTML.?

I created the Bootstrap for LMS in HTML to enable educators to copy the code into their LMS editor as HTML and to reveal Bootstrap functionality and identify the code snippets to use in their own curriculum course sites. This resource was developed with educators in mind to empower them to create high-quality, consistent eLearning.

Understanding CSS and Class Rules

At the core of Bootstrap are CSS class rules—reusable styles that can be easily applied to your HTML elements such as hyperlinks to create buttons. Even a basic understanding of CSS can empower you to integrate styles to elevate the look and functionality of your webpages. Whether you want to add colorful elements, change text size, or add functionality, knowing how to use Bootstrap's classes with some basic content-centric HTML makes these edits straightforward and intuitive. You don't have to be a CSS guru to get started; just knowing a few class names and how to apply them will take your LMS content a long way.

For example, using Bootstrap's “btn btn-primary” class can immediately turn a plain link into a stylized, attention-grabbing button.

Getting Started

If you're ready to dive in, start by going to my Bootstrap for LMS repository on GitHub. There, you will find the HTML file (Bootstrap-for-LMS.html) you can copy and paste directly into the LMS HTML editor. The HTML code not only visualizes working examples of Bootstraps functionality and design elements, but also provides effective, accessible, and engaging side-by-side examples you can incorporate directly into your courses.

For those interested in diving deeper into how design impacts student engagement, consider checking out my paper on Student User Experience (SUX). Understanding how web design, user experience, and accessibility impacts learning and will provide additional context on why using tools like Bootstrap enhances your course offerings.

What's Next?

Stay tuned for the next part of our Pushing the LMS series, where we'll explore Font Awesome Icons for LMS that can compliment LMS’ that compliment the Bootstrap Framework. These icons can be a game-changer in guiding learners through your courses, making navigation intuitive and visually appealing. We’ll show how to check if they are available in your LMS course and how to incorporate these icons effectively into your LMS content.

Resources:

• Check out the Bootstrap for LMS file: https://github.com/relearningelearning/Bootstrap-for-LMS
• Want more resources to make the most of your LMS? Visit my GitHub: https://github.com/relearningelearning
• For more on creating positive Student User Experiences, take a look at my recent paper: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4433806

#eLearning #StudentUserExperience #SUX #LMS #Bootstrap