Tying together data, learning standards, and digital content is becoming one of the next hurdles or opportunities for K12 Education, with Student Information Systems (SIS) and Learning Management Systems (LMS) jockeying for school and district leadership.
Simba Technologies has recently announced their PreK-12 Learning Management Systems: A Market Overview, and here are some observations from their analysis.
Image by cindiann via Flickr
The ideal system would allow teachers and students to sign in to the LMS from anywhere, and get access to all their district resources (intranet, hosting, social networking, storage, applications, content, portfolios, grades, assignments, etc.) with no further logins. This is complicated because of the wide range of resources available, along with diversity of functions that different districts, schools, and teachers deploy.
Despite these obstacles, something like 75% of all districts have implemented some type of learning management system. Some districts are attracted to simple “LMS Lite” alternatives of tools that are really designed for other purposes but can perform some LMS features, while other are looking to deploy more robust systems. Tools in the specialty category include Renaissance Place from Renaissance Learning for K12 content, and PD 360 from School Improvement Network for Professional Development.
The choice for broad powerful systems is primarily driven by a focus on management and organizational functions. Federal and state policies and regulations are key drivers of these comprehensive systems, with the need for the aggregation and disaggregation of data, along with the movement toward digital assessments and personalized instruction which are embedded in the Common Core standards. Over half of districts surveyed by Simba have policies moving their districts in this direction.
Interestingly, the features deemed least important by district personnel were collaborative and presentation tools.
While Blackboard commands more than 50% of the higher education LMS market, Simba’s report indicated that in K12, the big three (Blackboard, Pearson Learning Studio, and Moodle) account for 30% of the market. The total market, though, is not huge yet. Simba projects that sales of LMS’s in K12 will reach about $375 million in two years.
This is just a few of the findings of the report, which “examines the role of Learning Management Systems (LMSs), which already are beginning to reshape the delivery, management, and administration of educational content in the U.S. PreK-12 sector, enabling cost-savings, convenience, new more personalized pedagogical models, and new opportunities for system and content providers.”
You can order the PreK-12 Learning Management Systems: A Market Overview by following the link or calling 240-747-3091.
