This document describes the implementation of a learning management system (LMS) at a secondary school over several years. It began with Dokeos in 2006 with limited success, but engagement grew after introducing new features like a school journal. In 2008, adding the Campus plugin improved the platform. Usage increased when some functions became mandatory. The school later migrated to Chamilo for improved stability. While response to Chamilo was initially positive, some functions like the fileserver and social network saw declining use. The IT administrator hopes to boost engagement through training and new features like online testing.

1. Implementing
LMS
a case study
Peter Van den Broeck
SO STJ Hamme

2. Peter Van den Broeck
 English/ Dutch Teacher
 Masters Degree Languages
 No IT-qualifications
 Platform manager of Kajakaja
 Kajakaja.be – Chamilo 1.8.7.1 with
campus Plugin

3. STJ Hamme
 Secondary school – years 3 to 6
(vocational 7)
 ASO – technical – vocational
 364 students
 61 teachers
 Using LMS since 2006

4. First steps…
 Introduction
in April 2006
 Stephen Hargreaves – Working with
Webquests
 Making a choice: Dokeos or Moodle
 Why D0ke0s?
 Expertise (trainee from HoWest – AUGent)
 Simple and clear layout
 (Partly) Belgian based – language support
100%

5. Jura – Project D0ke0s
 Subdomain schoolwebsite
 40 students
 1 teacher
 Positive experience
 Student motivation
 Participation community (wiki-tool pcool)

6. Level 1 – Sep 2006
 Separate domain – hosted environment
(kajakaja)
 Account for every student / teacher
 Choice of use was with teacher (no-
obligation)
 5 teachers in 8 classes
 LIMITED SUCCESS

7. First push – Jan 2007
 Introduction of ‘Mededelingen’ for
teachers
 Weekly update
 All school related forms for download
 announcements
 Result:
+30 passive users (teachers)
 PRACTICAL USE

8. Second push – Mar 2007
 Update to 1.8.x
 Series of hands-on sessions for interested
teachers
 Results:
 5 -> 20 teachers who use courses for students
 60% of students have a login
 Math dpt starts its own cross curricular course
 DOWNSIDE: Flashy Fileserver

9. Some setbacks – Sep 2007
 AUGent partnership project
 Free dokeos platform
 Centralized management
 Helpdesk
 Left the program after 14 days
 Failurein update to 1.8.4 -> reinstall from
scratch
 Relaunch 3rd week of September
 Bad practice: teachers hand out account
details
 Problems -> less teachers rely on platform
hence less students get their account details

10. Revenge at hand – Jan 2008
 Introduction ‘ leerlingenmededelingen’
 All students get login through administation
 Initiation by IT-teachers
 End Jan 95% have logged in at least once
 Stable active teacher usage 40%
 BUT: Flashy Fileserver, only 2 teachers use
other modules
 Motivational setback: no real progress in 1,5
years

11. Land ahoi – Mar 2008
 Campus Plugin – Ludwig Theunis
 Amazing Tool
 Installation of 2nd testing Platform
 Test with selected group
 May: decision to implement -> total
cleanup
 June: mandatory sessions to introduce
new platform

12. Kajakaja 2.0 – Sep 2008
 Dokeos 1.8.5 + Campus Plugin
 New features:
 Timetable
 Journal based on timetable
 Students listings
 Reservations tool

13. A better way?
 Personalised letters 1st day of school +
mini-manual
 Voluntary school journal
 Mandatory for reservations
 Timetable changes: consult the platform
 AMAZING: by half Sep
 96% of students
 99% of teachers

14. STS – Jan 2009
 Student Tracking System
 Mandatory
 Learning disorders – Results – Behaviour
 RESULT
 More teachers become ‘active users’
 Links – documents – announcements
 Most popular: Journal - Listings

15. Open evaluation
 Positive perception
 More up than down
 Split in IT and LMS
 STS is sole source information
 DOWN: first student hack

16. Year 2 2.0 – Sep 2009
 Same procedures
 Active Day 3 of school year
 Massive course growth (DEPT courses)
 DOWN: 1 course -> several courses
 CLB Login

17. Jan – May 2010
 New headmaster:
 Former Dokeos Platform Admin
 New blood
 Go Chamilo decision
 Limit course creation
 Cleanup

18. On hold – Sep 2010
 Start schoolyear: Dokeos 186 + Campus
1.4
 Mandatory school journal
 Precreated courses
 DB stability problems in webhosting (21.000
tables)
 Oct 2010:
 decision migrate to VPS
 Decision upgrade to Chamilo

19. The move – Dec 2010
 Move Dokeos 186 to VPS
 Problem: DB of 21.000 tables
 Rights management (webhosting sucks)
 Upgrade to Chamilo
 Stable!
 Database bugs:
 Course list
 Within courses

20. Chamilo – Jan 2011
 Introduction Jan 3rd
 Positive response to overall system
 Negative response
 Social network (exclusion)
 Currently unused again

21. IT admin – Mar 2011
 Added new function
 Single tracking system for IT errors
 Positive response

22. Back to the future
 Downside in usage:
 Fileserver
 Administrative platform
 Plans
 Hands on session for different modules
 Online testing experiments
 Learning paths

23. Future for Chamilo
 Hopeful developments 2.0
 Plugin Code: integrated in full project
 More config options for Social network
 Mobile version

24. Question Time