Following up from our recent comparative analysis, STEKIO vs iTunes U. STEKIO Makes Learner Management Easier, we wanted to take a broader look at how STEKIO compares with other platforms and apps in the education space. In particular, we’re looking at how it stacks up against other entrants in the LMS and learning space as well: Moodle, Blackboard, Desire2Learn and Canvas.
A straight-up comparison is possible for some metrics, but we should note that these are all different kinds of products that don’t offer the same kinds of features and value. That said, we can at least cover some ground here for corporate training program managers and university administrators looking to invest in a better system of managing and facilitating learners.
First, let’s look at the processes of ease of onboarding, learner engagement and the effectiveness of learner networking.
Ease of Onboarding | Learner Management | Learner Networking | Branded Learning | |
STEKIO | Instant, self-administered by students. | Seamless dashboard works in sync with LinkedIn with complete name, title, descriptive bios and profile picture.
Learners have instant access to files of instructional material provided by the school. |
Learning peers have instant access to profiles of students and faculty, facilitating communication and collaboration.
No management required by the administrator. |
Custom branding included. |
Moodle LMS | Administered by IT manager or school admin staff. Eg. For a medium-sized class of 30 students, 2 hrs. | Requires continual administration by teachers, admins and IT. Extremely versatile, but dependent on fast, effective technical support to maintain access to instructional material. | Open source plugins offer flexible options for communication, typically integrated with communication (eg. email, chat, social) apps that work outside of the LMS. Requires regular management. | Extra cost. Requires LMS hosting provider’s assistance. |
Blackboard LMS | Administered by IT manager or school admin staff. | Faculty use ‘Course Rooms’ to manage learners in courses in a proprietary system | Students use ‘Blackboard Learn’ to message and collaborate and communicate with others. | Extra cost. Requires LMS hosting provider’s assistance. |
Desire2Learn (Brightspace LMS) | Administered by Brightspace. | Courses custom-developed by Brightspace, faculty use gamified assessment tools. | Heavy emphasis on mobile. Proprietary system allows for features such as polling, sharing documents, video chat and more. | Extra cost. Requires LMS hosting provider’s assistance. |
Canvas LMS | Administered by IT manager or school admin staff. | Course development tools provided by Canvas, but requires self-training using Canvas online resources. | Proprietary system of discussions, polls, quizzes, assignments and more. | Extra cost. Requires LMS hosting provider’s assistance. |
iTunes U | Self-administered. Login with Apple ID. | Self-managed by learners in an interface that requires extensive clicking in between windows. | Mainly a tool for self-learning, but allows for interaction with faculty or students in other platforms. | Branded for Apple. |
STEKIO’s ease of use and highly focused purpose as an education onboarding and engagement system makes it an attractive proposition for corporate training programs and university-level business programs.
For organizations that want easy onboarding, seamless learner management and a branded appearance to deliver a successful program, without requiring the substantial additional cost of administering a MOOC, STEKIO is the easy choice.