The availability of tools I am able to use in my agency is limited, but using the evaluation process allowed me to have a more objective view of these tools. My reasons for using or not using a certain tool have been predominantly based on my course content in that much of the material cannot be placed on an unsecure network.
As I evaluated my usage of these tools, I learned two important things:
I am not making full use of the capabilities of the tools I have been using, i.e., the Blackboard Learn LMS, and
If I am able to modify my course content, I can use MS Teams in a way that affords learners the opportunity to learn and collaborate with each other outside of the normal duty day/classroom hours.
The tool I will continue to rely on and use for my lesson/design project is the Blackboard Learn LMS (Bb). Since I am designing an asynchronous introductory planning course, I believe Bb is the best tool I have at my disposal that offers engagement in learning, enhancement of learning goals, and extending the learning goals.
On the other hand, the tool that will least meet my initial needs in MS Teams. MS Teams itself is not a learning management system. It works well for delivering lectures and conducting seminars, but it is challenging to use in a way to assess learning.