Imagine that you are on a committee charged with researching the adoption of a new LMS at your small organization (such as a college or corporate training unit). The group is tasked with determining what is required to implement the LMS for both an online and hybrid learning environment. The committee is made up of instructors, technologists, and staff, and a few members are still a little skeptical that investment in a new technology solution is necessary. Please respond to the following questions to prepare for your first committee meeting:

1. Do you think the entire class may be conducted in an online or hybrid format that includes using conferencing tools or email? Or, would an LMS or other virtual or social media tools be more appropriate?
2. How does the selection process for an LMS or CMS that will primarily support online differ from one that will primarily support a hybrid learning environment? Can one system support both?
3. How can conferencing tools support online or hybrid learning?
4. Which tools might be used more heavily in one mode versus the other?
5. Does the system support reuse or sharing of content?
6. What are the pros and cons of using a locally hosted versus a remotely hosted (or outsourced) LMS?
7. What support systems (servers, networks, and so forth) are required to run the LMS? What, if any, considerations are necessary if the environment is Mac-based?
8. Why is it important to incorporate distance and learning theories when planning and implementing online and hybrid learning environments?