Learners who take this course will make connections and linkages to principles and concepts from the course EDID 6508 ‘Designing Instructional Media’ and EDID 6510 ‘Learning and Knowledge Management Systems’ due to the former course’s focus on constructing media artefacts and online content. However, EDID 6510 goes further. It opens learners’ awareness to designing knowledge management environments and its implications toward learning. As such, learners develop skills and knowledge that heighten their awareness of designing management systems in accordance with international accessibility and web standards and learning content management system heuristics. Moreover, the course allows learners to create their own learning management systems (LMSs) based on a learning goal and course objectives. Participants will also become critical as they scrutinise and evaluate their own management systems and those of their peers. In my experience, I found that whilst we were at liberty to design LMSs using our own discretion, the most effective and practical systems considered instructional design theories and learner-centred best practices such as social learning, andragogy, Merrill’s First Principles, Elaboration Theory, Gagne’s Nine Event of Instruction, swift trust theory, universal design, copyright, using performance objectives, building a virtual learning community and ensuring content is accessible to name a few.

Lastly, the course develops learners’ understanding of the importance of being compassionate towards all individuals and to consider their needs. It is difficult to take this course and not be influenced by inclusivity and accessibility, not only in light of designing management systems but also in other general areas. I have become concerned about whether I am excluding individuals with my language – is it too visual? Does it accommodate the hearing impaired? For this reason I make an attempt to avoid using words or phrases like “click”, “see below” and other spatial references; Is my text readable? Would persons with disabilities have the same experience as a person without a disability? Once these are considered in any design, it ensures high usability and consequently builds rapport and fosters relationships with users.

The following artefacts exhibit in-depth knowledge regarding LMSs where the emphasis was placed on designing and developing instructional materials, accessibility, learning and instructional theories and so on. Firstly, review the document to find out why the LMS was selected and its key considerations. Secondly, explore the LMS site. Credentials for the site are found on page five to six in the first artefact.