Student use of a Learning Management System depends upon their ICT skills level

A study, published this month by Qatar University, investigated the factors that impact student usage of the Learning Management System (LMS) in Qatari Schools. (In the latest edition of The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning).

This LMS is "a tool that organizes and regulates classroom administrative tasks, supports teachers and students in the teaching and learning process, and informs parents of their children’s progress and school activities".

The study found a link between students' ICT skills level and whether they were prone to use the LMS - the higher the skills, the LESS likely they were to use the LMS - a result which seems counter-intuitive at first. It seems that the LMS was not exciting enough for those who already had the skills to navigate and find on the internet.

Attitudinal barriers were not predictive of usage and student usage was strongly correlated to teacher and parent usage. In fact, teacher usage was key - use of the LMS tended to be limited to IT class. "However, when teachers built activities in and around the LMS with a number of benefits and rewards, the students were motivated to use the LMS".