E-LEARNING POTENTIALS AND CHALLENGES IN LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: THE ILI EXPERIENCE

Rapid improvements in the field of educational technology in recent decades together with the emergence of new online environments and software have enhanced the opportunities for and interests in virtual learning. The possibility of teaching/learning beyond the conventional classroom time and space confinements has made virtual learning and related environments appealing for the learners with inflexible working schedules who find it difficult to attend face-to-face classrooms and the institutions which aim at attracting this potential group of learners. A Learning management system (LMSs) is a good example of such e-learning environments that support a/synchronous mode of delivering instruction. In addition to features like automatic enrollment, rosters, document management, multiple device access, distributed instructor and student base, assessment and grading options for performance evaluation, LMSs not only offer particular opportunities for material design and development, but also support the content created in accordance with Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) - a standard that enables interoperability between e-learning content produced by different software. With a growing demand for training employees and a widely distributed workforce, Iranian companies and firms are largely turning to e-learning. As the oldest and one of the best-established language institutes in the country, Iran Language Institute (ILI) has devised plans and designed online courses to satisfy this booming need in the market for staff training and professional development. The present research offers a detailed account of the e-learning experience at ILI with a special focus on the nature of the courses (both asynchronous and synchronous ones) and the content created for each together with the perception of the participants regarding the challenges and merits of each mode of learning. With a special look at an e-learning model and the content developed specifically for a particular context, the present study will provide insights into the potentials of virtual learning environments - namely LMSs and the possible problems confronting course designers and curriculum planners in this respect.