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Data Security

The Importance of Data Security in elearning

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Why You Need a Secure LMS

Data security in the corporate world is very important, and LMSs are packed full of vital information about business procedures and strategies. For the purpose of training their employees, companies upload information about company policies and structure, trade secrets, market strategies, and other crucial information. Theft or destruction of this data would most likely spell disaster for any business.

In education, a breach of the LMS would mean loss of confidential data and almost certain cheating. Such incident would make the examination in question null and void. At best, security measures would have to be revised and students would have to retake the test. At worst, cheating would undermine the legitimacy of the educational institution in question; which could have far-reaching consequences, both for students and the faculty.

A breach of the LMS could result in abuse of personal information, emotional distress, damaged reputation and loss of client confidence, regardless of the context in which it occurred. This in turn leads to loss of competitive advantage and severe financial harm. In one word, it would be a disaster. That is why security is one of the most important characteristics of any eLearning software, especially one that is open source. A lot of attention has to be paid to the security aspect of any learning management system.

However, the level of security that a software product offers can be quite difficult to evaluate. The security aspect is notoriously easy to overlook, since it is usually excluded from product overviews and feature lists. And even the most watertight system will be easy to break into if one’s password is his/her birthday. Still, there are certain features which can greatly reduce the security risks associated with eLearning.

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

SSL has become the standard in security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a server and a client. It allows sensitive data such as personal information and login credentials to be transmitted securely. Normally, data sent between browsers and web servers is transmitted in plain text, leaving the user vulnerable. If someone manages to intercept that data traffic, they can harvest and exploit the information which is being sent. SSL mathematically scrambles data, so that only the webpage and the end user can read it. The SSL protocol is the must-have when it comes to internet and data security and most users are already familiar with it (it is represented by the padlock icon in the search bar). YouTestMe solutions natively support SSL, preventing users’ data and passwords from being read by anyone who isn’t supposed to, and letting you operate the system safely.

Role Permissions

YouTestMe data security policies go even further, knowing how vitally important it is to protect the content and integrity of organizations which provide it. To keep the system safe, one must make sure that users can perform actions as intended. In order to access a certain feature in the system, a user must possess the appropriate privilege. User roles represent the combination of these privileges. Privileges define which actions a user can or cannot perform within the system. Admins operate the platform; teachers manage content, create tests, and receive test results and user statistics. Students can access the content and take tests, ask questions and give feedback in the comments. However, user roles are not predetermined. Privileges can be granted or revoked and freely combined. This allows for greater flexibility since admins can create custom roles to fit any particular situation and the needs of various organizations.

Passwords

Attackers know that LMS vendors take good care of the system infrastructure and process security; on the other hand, the end users are a much easier target. When someone wants to access the content on a LMS, he/she will have to login to the system. And there lies the problem, 95% of data breaches are managed by acquiring login credentials. As was already mentioned beforehand, even the most rigorous security measures would be of little help if the users set their pet’s name (which is heavily featured on all social media) as passwords. This particular problem has proven extremely hard to solve. The troubling fact is that most users simply don’t care enough about security and make surprisingly poor password choices. They don’t adhere to instructions and usually skip two-factor authentication. The research on internet security shows that the majority of users’ passwords or security questions are available on their public profiles.

It is of paramount importance to make sure that it is extremely difficult to steal login credentials. YouTestMe standards require that passwords include a minimum of eight characters, at least one uppercase, one lowercase letter, a special character and a numeral. It might sound cumbersome, but it is the only way to make sure that users are taking necessary precautions when choosing their passwords. The option to enable a captcha on signup adds one more layer to the already thorough security protocol. Captcha goes a long way in ensuring the safety of an LMS as it hinders the usage of automated tools to break into the system.

Conclusion on Data Security

Someday, we might devise a perfect security system, one which eliminates all possibility of human error. But as long as the system relies on every individual user to be responsible and guard his/her confidential information, there will be considerable risks. Nonetheless, there are certain measures which can minimize these risks. They come in many different forms and deal with both the structure of the system itself (encryption, permissions, CAPTCHA) and standards which users themselves must adhere to (password requirements). All of these are essential if one wishes to protect the crucial information in one’s eLearning system, both in corporate or purely educational context.

 

Additional sources:
  1. https://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1905/is-cybersecurity-the-next-compliance
  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Layer_Security
  3. https://www.schneier.com/academic/paperfiles/paper-ssl.pdf
  4. https://blog.kaspersky.com/man-in-the-middle-attack/1613/
  5. https://gmail.googleblog.com/2009/10/choosing-smart-password.html
  6. https://moz.com/blog/seo-tips-https-ssl
Learning Management System

Learning with a Learning Management System

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A Learning Management System is often abbreviated to LMS, and it incorporates usage of different elements such as e-learning software in order to pass the necessary knowledge and skills to the interested parties. This type of educational software usually incorporates its own online examination system, which is in many ways the most important part of the entire process. After all, this is the only way to ensure the students have learned what they were supposed to. If it can be easily tricked, then its reliability would be a serious drawback.

The History of E-Learning

The history about computers and learning goes back a long way, but in the beginning, the learning was mostly centered around computers rather than using them as tools for mastering other areas. Basically, it wasn’t until the ’70s that they started using computers as learning aids. By the late ’90s there were already online courses on all sorts of things and even some universities offered a possibility to attend classes online and receive certificates to brag about. Still, back then the whole Learning Management System thing as well as its recognition were nowhere near what they are now, let alone what they will become in the future.

How Complex is a Learning Management System (LMS)?

Learning Management System Word Cloud

What makes Learning Management System so special is its systemic nature, as it seeks to control and manage every single aspect pertaining to the learning process whereas most other alternatives settle for classes and exams only. There is the entire framework at play where every bit of content, every learning goal and every step in achieving said goals are known and planned in advance. Since nothing is left to chance, this thorough approach is far more efficient that one might think at first.

Apart from the content they offer, most Learning Management Systems differ in terms of the course management and administration, the way users and their activities are organized, how application and registration are handled, the way the progress is being tracked and evaluated… These are all elements that deserve special attention when selecting the right LMS. Recently, however, there have been some serious improvements to the concept, including the possibility to create one’s own educational content, or only use certain features.

How effective Is an LMS?

There are tons of studies and infographics on Learning Management Systems that showcase its effectiveness, especially pertaining to some of the features. For instance, a recent study on the effectiveness of an LMS pertaining to a programming course that is usually delivered face-to-face, (link to the case study). The results have shown that, while not fully capable of replacing face-to-face learning, LMS is more than capable of complementing the results and improving them. And besides, last year alone, any investments in e-learning programs have effectively yielded the return that is twice as high. Current estimates are that roughly 79% of companies in the world employ at least some kind of e-learning or LMS.

Who is the LMS for?

In case you haven’t notices, LMS is the thing of the future. Current projections state that by 2019, roughly half of college students in the U.S. will be enrolled in some kind of LMS program. This added popularity will surely bring down the overall costs making this method of learning more accessible and affordable than ever before! The reason why we mentioned students first is because they were the intended recipients originally, but the idea has since far surpassed regular Universities, schools and other similar institutions.

Nowadays, any kind of business or even regular people can take full advantage of all the benefits that LMS has to offer. If you own a computer and you need to learn something, chances are this is what you really need. All is not perfect, however. Thanks to more and more people recognizing the potential of this learning aid, there has been an entire market centered around this niche. While this has certainly done some good, in standardizing the offers and lowering the costs, it should be noted that not all the commercial vendors for this kind of applications is legitimate.

Still, most vendors tend to specialize in companies of certain sizes and even the certain kind of content that is to be made available to their clients. Their methods of evaluation also vary, so picking the right offer is more important than ever – the future of your company may depend on it! On one hand, it is in their interest to get as many people to pass since their success rate is at stake. But then again, if they do not maintain a certain knowledge or proficiency threshold, their whole purpose will be negated, so only a handful of vendors have actually managed to solve this conundrum.

YouTestMe Classroom 2020 is software with elements of an LMS, but also containing a powerful test generator for a fast and simple evaluation process. As an added benefit its deployment can be limited to a local network, for the biggest possible security. Check out all of its features at the Classroom 2020 product page.

Knowledge Management - Modern Testing

Knowledge Management – Traditional vs. Modern Testing

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As knowledge management becomes one of the key areas for future development, experts still debate the merits of traditional testing and compare it to the computer-based one. Whether it comes to making adjustments to the Learning Management System (LMS), or testing solutions regarding Virtual Learning Environments (VLE), some people still prefer the old ways over the new. This position is understandable, but it is also important to take an objective view of the current situation and make plans for the future.

What kind of testing is the most dominant nowadays?

It goes without saying that the traditional, paper-based approach is by far more users across the board. Due to its low cost, ubiquitous status, and the fact that it has been proven in action time and time again, a lot of people prefer it over the uncertain, costly alternative that is CBT. However, times are changing, and those that fail to keep up will be left behind. With that in mind, CBT has been gaining in popularity as a knowledge management tool, especially over the last decade. The sheer amount of research on this topic has been growing at an exponential rate, but conclusions are still… inconclusive.

The thing is, technology is developing at such a rapid pace that studies and their findings cease to be relevant in a matter of years, so a lot of the initial studies have been rendered inconsequential a long time ago. Besides, the computer experience an average candidate has nowadays is vastly different from what it would have been a decade ago, or what it will be a decade from now. However, if there is a general consensus on this issue, at least when it comes to studies conducted within the last three years or so, it would be that there is no major difference between CBT and PBT, as the difference is smaller than 0.05%. Of course, this may change in the future.

Knowledge management today – use of modern technologies

As technology advances, so do the testing methods, even at lower education levels – not to mention companies. For one, computers and tablets have been present in most schools for years, in some form or another. The increased level of interaction between students and teachers has also resulted in additional testing methods, that are done via computers and other devices. At the university level, many institutions resort to OpenCourseWare (OCW), Google Classroom, or similar solutions for knowledge management problems.

As for companies and solutions aimed primarily at adults, we can see an ever-increasing use of social networks for educational purposes. The potential to adopt knowledge from one’s peers as well as its success rate has not gone unnoticed. Webcams, whiteboards, and screencasting have all found their uses in this area as well.

Paper-based vs. computer-based testing

Each of them has certain benefits over the other. For instance, the cost of paper-based testing is essentially boiled down to a sheet of paper and the person in charge of monitoring the exam, whereas computer-based testing requires electricity, computers, and other means that make the initial costs much higher. On the other hand, it is a lot easier to implement en masse and is arguably much safer in terms of administration. Then again, it all depends on the level of measures implemented against cheating and the level of commitment on behalf of those being examined.

In the long run, however, CBT does involve a number of advantages. For one, exams do not need to be shipped to a physical location, so there should be no delays or associated costs. Simple encryption should keep away most troublemakers. Most importantly, scoring is a lot faster in this regard, as everything is done electronically. The probability of human error is much lower as well. One downside is that this only applies to certain types of tests, so scoring essays in this manner is still far too good to be true. PBT will most likely remain in use, at least on some level – until CBT technology has advanced enough to take over entirely.

CBT in practice

Before introducing a virtual learning environment, many institutions specializing in education such as Cambridge were beyond reach to the overwhelming majority of people. After all, you can only fit so many people inside a classroom at one time. However, after making the switch to include advanced technologies complete with CBT, the overall level of education has increased dramatically. This is a life-changing opportunity for people who could not afford to study at a prestigious university due to lack of funds or because they have to support their families. In the future, however, most universities will offer their services online in one form or another, while maintaining the regular, physical lessons to those who can afford them.

From language teaching to gaining new skills, various companies all around the world have resorted to this kind of knowledge management for their employees, especially in the IT sector. The ability to create a universal test, translate it into a number of languages, and conduct it simultaneously in several different countries has not gone unnoticed by major companies. There are even companies that specialize in conducting computer-based testing and offering their services to schools and businesses alike.

YouTestMe Software Solutions

YouTestMe recognized the potential of improving modern ways of testing and developed two knowledge testing platforms that are very competitive in today’s e-learning market. The first solution is Classroom 2020, a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) that offers a wide set of features bound to improve the quality of lecturing and testing. It was designed for schools, colleges public, and government institutions.  The second solution, Get Certified, a quiz maker and certification platform, answers to the constant requirement of employee training and certification. But those are only a few features that our products have. Feel free to sign up for free demos of Classroom 2020 and Get Certified to see for yourself all of the advantages of modern knowledge testing solutions.