Roles for Technology in the Information-Age Paradigm of Education: Learning Management Systems

This article presents a detailed description of the powerful and necessary role which technology can play in the information-age paradigm of education described in the four articles comprising this series. This article calls for a learning management system (LMS), a comprehensive and integrated application of technology to the learning process, which will provide four primary roles for student learning: recordkeeping, planning, instruction, and assessment. Each of these four major roles is described in terms of the functions it needs in order to support student learning. Finally, secondary roles such as communication and general data administration are described in order to illustrate the systemic nature of LMS technology necessary to fully support the learner-centered approach needed in the information-age paradigm of education