Future trend analysis of Content Management Systems in Higher Education.

1. Future Trend in Online
Higher Education
AllysonGrimsley
EDUC626 4/28/2013

2. Content Management System
(CMS)
*A content management system is used in online education to
manage, organize , collect and distribute information . Typically this is in the
form of an online classroom, such as Sakai or Blackboard.
*More and more physical classes are integrating online work into their
curriculum, often schools and instructors choose to use a CMS to accomplish
this.
*Also, there are more and more schools creating fully online courses for
students. These schools require some way of delivering their courses to
students, therefore the need for Content Management Systems is also a growing
trend.

3. Content Management System Growth
*According toThe Sloan Consortium, 66% of
postsecondary institutions are seeing an increased
demand for new distance education course offerings and
73% are seeing an increased demand in their existing
distance education coursework.
*In order to meet these student demands, schools
offering online courses need to choose a Content
Management System, or keep their current Content
Management System up to date .
*Due to the growth of online courses and schools, a well
organized and easy to navigate CMS can be the
difference between returning or disenrolling students.
*Even courses that are not fully delivered online may use
a CMS to allow for participating in the class when not
meeting in person.

4. CMS Examples
School Fusion: A fully customizable CMS that allows schools to manage
content, create online calendars, and create classroom websites.
(www.schoolfusion.com)
Blackboard: This CMS is set up to hold almost everything a physical classroom
has. It allows for instructor and peer to peer interactions, and can include sections
such as grade books, tests and quizzes, web based tools, discussion forums, course
materials and web based tools.
(www.blackboard.com)
Moodle: Moodle is a free open source CMS that can be used to create an online
learning environment. This can be used more for the individual classroom, in addition
to meeting physically. It also includes options such as discussion forums, tests and
quizzes, and delivering assignments.
(http://moodle.org)

5. Benefits of CMS Growth
*The increase in the need for CMS’s creates a rise in new and updated CMS
options. The competition keeps CMS companies on their toes to add new
options, update technology, and improve their CMS’s.
*The trend in using Content Management Systems means that there are
more options for students who would like to take distance education
courses. Since more schools are considering or are already using CMS’s
, students have more schools to choose from when trying to decide on what
college to go to, whether it be fully online, or colleges with blended
classrooms., or brick and mortar schools that integrate CMS’s into the
physical classroom.
*The more online or blended classes that require Content Management
Systems, the more other classroom technologies are required, that will in
turn help keep other technologies being created or updated.
*Instructors and students who use Content Management Systems are
learning how to use a new technology while also delivering or completing a
course. They are not only learning the content in the course, but are also
learning how to navigate and use a Web 2.0 tool.

6. Challenges of CMS Growth
*Rapid growth of Content Management Systems could mean that the quality of CMS’s
decline.
*The need for CMS’s could result in higher costs to schools.
*The increase in online courses could result in the decline of physical classrooms.
*A school could choose a Content Management System that does not fit their school
or course’s needs.

7. Predictions of Content Management
Systems
*Content Management Systems will be a continuing online education trend due to
the growth of online schools and courses and the need for online classroom
platforms.
*Content Management System companies will continue to grow due to the demand.
*CMS’s and online growth will be correlated. Collaboratively, as CMS’s get better
due to their growth, online course enrollment will increase due to the satisfaction
with the online learning environment, again creating growth in CMS’s.
*AsContent Management Systems grow they will allow for, and assist in the
creation of, new educational technologies to integrate into the online classroom.

8. Conclusion
*Content Management Systems are good way for instructors and schools to create
an organized website for classroom activities and interactions to occur.
*Content Management Systems are just one future trend in online that is expected
to continue to grow.
*Content Management System growth and online education growth are related, as
one grows, the other is expected to grow as well.

9. Resources
Gill,C. & Powel,W.Web Content Management Systems in Higher Education
retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eqm0325.pdf
Solomon,G., & Schrum, L. (2010). Web 2.0: How-to for educators. Eugene, OR:
International Society forTechnology in Education.
Sloan Consortium http://sloanconsortium.org/
Subrahmanyam, Dr. JSR. FutureTrends of Content Management Systems (CMS) for
e-Learning: ATool Based Database Oriented Approach retrieved from
http://www.cdac.in/html/pdf/Session3.1.pdf
Images retrieved from www.bing.com