LAMS is a revolutionary new tool for designing, managing and delivering online collaborative learning activities. It provides teachers with a highly intuitive visual authoring environment for creating sequences of learning activities. These activities can include a range of individual tasks, small group work and whole class activities based on both content and collaboration. LAMS can be used as a stand alone system or in combination with other learning management systems (LMS) such as Moodle, Sakai, .LRN, WebCT and BlackBoard.
LAMS provides teachers with a visual authoring environment for creating, storing and re-using sequences of learning activities. Teachers drag and drop activities into the authoring interface and then join the activities together to produce a learning sequence. This workflow model is what principally distinguishes LAMS from other more content based LMS by providing teachers and learners with sequences of activities with a high level of interactivity and collaboration. LAMS has a wide range of tools designed to be used for a range of pedagogical approaches, by teachers and students with varying levels of technical expertise.
*A new Resources portal is currently being developed, which will collate lots of presentations, case studies and whitepapers about using LAMS in a searchable database.
There are many key benefits on why using LAMS, here are just a few:
LAMS provides a highly intuitive visual authoring environment for creating sequences of learning activities. Evaluation reports on the use of LAMS report that teachers find LAMS easy to use and that LAMS also helps them reflect more deeply on their teaching practice.
Students love LAMS! Evaluation reports consistently note that students find LAMS and ICT very motivating
LAMS fosters greater student engagement - in one evaluation, only 16% of students were willing to discuss ideas in the classroom, however, via the collaboration facility within LAMS, over 83% were willing to discuss their ideas.
LAMS incorporates single learner content (such as Learning Objects) as well as collaborative tasks such as discussion, voting and debate.
LAMS allows educators to capture, share and adapt digital lesson plans based on "best practice processes".
Pixlr - Pixlr is an online image editing suite which allows learners to edit images in a Photoshop-like environment from within their browser.
Mindmap - The new Mindmap tool provides a collaborative space for learners to explore concepts and ideas.
Video Recorder - The Video Recorder allows Authors and Monitors to leave recorded instructions for Learners in any activity using a Webcam. The Video Recorder activity allows Learners to upload their own webcam videos for comment and review.
Image Gallery - This tool provides a space for learners to upload, comment and rate images.
Assessment - The Assessment tool provides a way to deliver highly flexible and customised Assessment tasks to Learners. The marks for the assessment can be exported to the new Gradebook feature.