I currently use NEO LMS. It is a free learning management system that I use in my classroom. I think it is possible that I could use something provided by my university, but my Korean language abilities are limited and it would take me too much time to try to learn how to use it. Also, despite having some of the world's fastest internet, Korean still mostly uses Internet Explorer and Active X. (This is partially due to antiquated security regulations.) This further makes using a university-provided solution much more difficult.
NEO LMS is far from the most robust LMS, but it is very easy to use and it is intuitive. Its mobile interface is also pretty easy for students to use. I mostly use it to communicate with students, share class documents, let students see their grades and for students to submit their homework. For each assignment, I give personalized feedback through the site. There are options for having discussion forums, but I haven't had much luck getting students to use them. (It hadn't occurred to me that I should seed the board with posts first!)
I am really curious how NEO LMS compares to other free sites. They do offer paid version, but I don't have much need of the paid features. Most of the other professors also use the site, but to varying degrees. One of the other professors in my department actually uses Naver Cafe instead of NEO LMS. (Naver is basically Korea's Google, though Google is gaining ground with the younger generation.) His students are already familiar with Naver, so it starts blurring the lines between established social media and using an LMS. As this course progresses, I think I will get more ideas of questions to ask him about how he uses social media in his classes.
Hi, Bruce!
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of NEO LMS. So, thank you for sharing. Another free option for your would coursesites which is the free product offered by Blackboard. However, from what I saw from NEO's website, NEO LMS has a much more pleasantly graphic interface, than Blackboard. I also found a section on NEO website where they compare NEO LMS to others at https://www.neolms.com/info/resources#section5
I'm glad to see you in this class again, Bruce.
Cheers,
Luci Mello
I am so glad to see you in class again too! I think NEO is a decent tool. It isn't perfect, but it is easy to use and it is great for the right situations.
DeleteHi, Bruce!
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of NEO LMS. So, thank you for sharing. Another free option for your would coursesites which is the free product offered by Blackboard. However, from what I saw from NEO's website, NEO LMS has a much more pleasantly graphic interface, than Blackboard. I also found a section on NEO website where they compare NEO LMS to others at https://www.neolms.com/info/resources#section5
I'm glad to see you in this class again, Bruce.
Cheers,
Luci Mello
Here is my thought from a real Korean perspective...
ReplyDeleteEven though the fastest Internet speed, Korea still use IE and ActiveX *because* of the government policy. Yes, it's really ridiculous. Bruce, you may know about the ridiculous situation when you try to buy something from the Internet. It requires you install some activeX package on your PC and enter your phone number and so forth. Yes, it's RIDICULOUS.
I've never heard of NEO, but it looks great and very mobile-friendly. It meets the needs for trend. I've used MOODLE for my own course. But it's not a really mobile-friendly so I had some difficulties. I will keep my eyes on NEO for the future.
Taehyeoung, you know firsthand how frustrating it can be to purchase anything on the internet. Having a foreign name with a limited foreign account makes things even more difficult! I mostly end up relying on websites that allow me to do bank transfers to pay for my items. Luckily Coupang and Gmarket both allow me to do this so I can bypass many of the more onerous restrictions.
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