Assignment

Suppose that the College of Information Sciences and Technology has grown dissatisfied with ANGEL and wants to utilize a different LMS (learning management system). The Dean has requested that the College community provide him arguments as to why IST should either 1) build its own LMS; or 2) buy/license an LMS that is available on the market.

In this case, we are in the BUILD camp. I would like for this essay to focus on innovation and invention. In regards to invention, it's key that we discuss the ability to utilize the present talent and expertise at the college. It is an easy sell if the product is homegrown and something that can be maintained easily. We do want to shy away from the "not invented here" syndrome. It's a delicate balance! It would also spur innovation by other LMS developers as large universities may opt to go the same route as our college and/or even adopt our product.

We're not looking to reinvent the wheel. We're merely trying to impress upon the dean as to why it would be a better idea to build our own LMS software. I suspect that we should stick to ideas that businesses hold dear such as the ability to perform our own quality assurance, proprietary control, and the mitigation of any wasted resources.

I'm not actually looking for the development of an LMS either. I'm just looking for a valid argument in favor of building one based upon some of the ideas I put forth.