One of the (many) great things about using the open source CMS Grav for a flipped-LMS approach is that no database is required, which makes running a local copy of Grav on your computer for testing purposes a very straightforward process. This also makes deployment to a Web server a breeze - just a simple folder copy.
But first, what does the term ‘flat-file CMS’ mean? In a nutshell, content is stored as individual text files rather than in a database.
The fact that a flat-file CMS uses files vs. database is secondary: the game changer is the ECOSYSTEM available, i.e. GitHub, Markdown, etc.
— Hibbitts Design (@...
I am excited to be presenting my approach of a Flipped-LMS at Simon Fraser University’s DEMOFest 2015 on November 24th.
Here is the description of my session:
Flipping the LMS: Benefits and Lessons Learned of Using an Alternative Front-end to Canvas
Let’s be honest, as course facilitators we want to deliver the best possible online learner experience but at the same time make our own experience as convenient as possible. LMSs, such as Canvas, provide some great pedagogical elements but often fall short when it comes to such things as streamlined course updates, content reuse, easy customization, and providing a truly open platform. The solution? Flip the LMS!
A flipped-LMS is where an open platform, in the control of instructors and students, is an alternative (and ideally collaborative) front-end to the institutional LMS..
A flipped-LMS approach means no student data needs to be stored in the front-end, so tools like DropBox can be used without FIPPA...
In this article I will describe the workflow details for my Fall 2015 Simon Fraser University CMPT-363 course companion, which meets the requirements first outlined in the LinkedIn article Online Course Companions: Workflow Requirements for (us) Instructors.
