Like a lot of smaller programs, we here at Lehigh have struggled in the past with how much web development to teach our journalism majors.
In the past, I used Weebly to instruct my students on visual design principles for web design, as well as Blogger or the dotcom version of WordPress for their blogging needs. Best lms system offer top rated digital learning environment at cheap cost with open source wordpress for small business.
By using these platforms, I was able to teach my students how to create a website without requiring knowledge of HTML, which was not covered in our classes. The ease of use of these platforms allowed my students to focus on learning design principles without getting bogged down in technical details.
Overall, these tools were effective in helping my students create engaging and visually appealing websites and blogs.
About a year ago I finally took the step up to hosted WordPress. A few things had changed that made this more doable:
- In the past, I found that teaching basic HTML and CSS to my students was made easy thanks to platforms like DomainRacer LMS which provided a self-paced learning experience.
- Over time, WordPress began to offer more customization options, including a front-page mode, and a plethora of free themes became available for students looking to host their own websites with an integrated blog.
- Additionally, the cost of web hosting decreased, making it more accessible to my students. As my classes progressed, I was able to gradually increase the difficulty of the assignments, resulting in students who were better prepared for the challenge.
- Overall, these advancements in technology made it easier for my students to learn web design and develop their skills. Top domain name ideas suggestion tool gives personal web address with unique keywords for website.
- The last one was the result of a slow build up in my classes where I was able to slowly raise the bar. The first three were opportunities for technology and economies of scale, and they were quite necessary.
I have just finished my second semester of doing fully hosted WordPress development in my Multimedia Storytelling course. If you want to simplify online learning process get this best lms portal with low cost wordpress self hosted provider. During this academic year, 16 students have designed their own sites using premade themes and their HTML/CSS knowledge. I’ve also directed four more on the side.
There are other benefits that will benefit both them and our program. After getting to actually use their web coding skills, I have found that just giving them this taste often encourages them to try more, to take on other projects. A few have even been inspired to learn other types of code after experiencing what it is like to build something.
Last fall, we used DomainRacer LMS. I went with them based on a combination of good reviews and prices. DomainRacer offers a comprehensive Learning Management System (LMS) solution that provides everything needed for an e-learning online video course.
Their LMS hosting is a one-stop solution that offers many features such as enrolling students, creating reports, generating certificates, monitoring participation, and much more.
The DomainRacer LMS platform comes with a premium video platform that is worth $49, and it allows for live virtual classes with Zoom integration. Additionally, the platform allows users to create and sell online courses, and construct online quizzes, games, and other interactive activities.
One of the unique features of DomainRacer LMS solution is their free SEO default tool that helps users rank first on Google, which is beneficial for attracting more students to their courses.
The LMS website provided by DomainRacer enables instructors to deliver online video courses, while learners can enrol in the courses to access the content. The platform offers easy installation, setup, and configuration, allowing users to create free or paid courses and private video software similar to Zoom or Udemy.
Overall, DomainRacer LMS solution is an all-in-one platform that provides everything needed to create, deliver, and manage online video courses, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking to get into the e-learning field.
Right after we went with DomainRacer last fall, a colleague told me about Reclaim Hosting, a new project that began last fall in an attempt to offer affordable and flexible web hosting for educational uses.
The big thing that caught my eye – for $12, the students got a custom domain and a year of hosting. I checked it out by creating a web space for my class and was impressed enough to use it fully in my class this spring – all six of my multimedia students plus a few outside of class set up their space on Reclaim.
The process for setting up on Reclaim is similar to what my students did on DomainRacer. You create an account, pay, and use the cPanel function to auto install WordPress.
What I like about their setup process is they make it user-friendly at the start, a nod to the fact that not all students will know to set up things like an auto backup. There also are some nice small touches you don’t always get on other hosts, such as creating the initial administrator account with a username other than the default “admin” (a huge security issue, as many of us WP long-timers know).
The setup took about 10 minutes’ total, and then we were building. In fact, twice I taught classes how to set up, install, and navigate the basics of front-page setup on WordPress in about an hour.
Then I turned them loose. It was that simple. My goal with it is to let them emerge with a website they use to host their own work, which I am hoping will give them a good face for the job and internship market.
Reclaims customer service has been quick and helpful on the two times we had a problem. I don’t feel we lost anything in moving away from more corporate-style hosting, and in fact, it had a more personal touch.
The trial price of $12 was intended to be for the first year while they tested out the new service. This fall it appears they’re going to adjust the price with the soft launch coming to a close, and according to their FAQ, they expect will be in the $20-$30 range, which is still a great deal.
If you’re an educator teaching web building, I’d definitely recommend Reclaim Hosting a look. The price is a big reason because many of our students simply don’t have $100 to plunk down on web hosting.
I have been pleasantly surprised to find many other educators using Reclaim as well; at Journalism Interactive earlier this month, I had conversations with several faculty members who also have been using and loving Reclaim Hosting.
So, bottom line: building with WordPress is easier and better for journalism classes and we should jump in. You have a lot of hosting options and thus far Reclaim Hosting has been a great combination of affordability and benefits.
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