Use of learning management systems in education: Comparison of open source learning management systems

Today, new information and communication technologies (ICT) have been involved in all parts of life, such as medicine, engineering, and even social life. One of the most effective ways to use ICT in a beneficial way to human life is education. Some universities use e-learning systems to increase the learning rate and accessibility. In this study, we have compared the learning management systems (LMS) using criteria developed according to the opinions of educational technology experts by focusing on open source systems. The learning management systems used in this research are Moodle, OpenedX, and SAKAI due to their popularity and widespread use. The results of this study can help decision-makers looking for an LMS that suits their needs to select the systems that meet their requirements. In our research, we have collected and combined many comparison criteria for LMSs from previous studies and then developed novel criteria set by adding new points of comparison. Moreover, we proposed a new evaluation methodology. In this thesis, we have described the method we have introduced in detail and presented how each LMS performs in each criterion. We found that Moodle has the best features compared to others. According to our evaluation method, Moodle scored the highest score (69 out of 74), followed by OpenedX (63 out of 74) and Sakai (58 out of 74).