Learning Design, Lams, and Christian Education

Abstract

E-learning has considerable potential for Christian education, but there is a need to move beyond individual, self-paced views of e-learning in order to appreciate its full potential. This paper explores how collaborative learning, scaffolding and generic skills provide a foundation for a broader view of e-learning as envisaged by the new field of Learning Design, and its application to Christian education. Learning Design provides a framework for describing and freely sharing effective teaching ideas, building on other Internet-based sharing approaches such as open source software and open content. The Learning Activity Management System (LAMS) is a Learning Design system that allows educators to author and share learning designs, as well as run them with students and track their progress. Two examples of LAMS learning designs are provided: a compare and contrast template and an example on Christian ethics. The paper concludes by describing a vision of Christian educators working together to share effective teaching ideas.