Course management systems (CMS), learning management systems (LMS) or virtual learning environment (VLE) depending on your preference seems to be all the rage nowadays.  Here are a few thoughts about who gets to make this decision utilizing a little insight from Steve Jobs, Apple Inc. CEO.  The following is an excerpt of a proceeding paper that I submitted for the Proceedings of the 6th Austrian UAS Language Instructors’ Conference – Vienna – 7– 8 May 2010 where I also presented.  The title of the paper is Integrating a MOODLE-Based CMS in Tertiary Level ESP and here is selected passage:
“The third major role-player in the implementation of a CMS at an educational institution is, of course, management and the IT department. Often the IT department evaluates software packages, management performs the cost/benefit analysis and a CMS is chosen without or with limited input from the two major end-user groups: the instructors and the students. Steve Jobs, Apple Inc. CEO, recently opined at the 2010 D8 Conference that he “loves” working with the consumer market, because everybody votes for themselves and says yes or no in reference to the product. If enough people say yes, i.e. they buy the product, we (Apple) sell products; it’s that simple.
“Whereas the enterprise market (i.e. companies and institutions) it’s not so simple. The people who use the products don’t decide for themselves and the people who make those decisions are sometimes confused.” (Apple Inc., 2010, Steve Jobs at the D8 Conference (2010). [Podcast released 15 June 2010] http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-jobs-at-d8-conference/id377953458)
Many times teachers are not involved in choosing the CMS software and then are instructed to use the new software to set up their courses. Depending on the complexity of the CMS, lack of adequate training, lack of time to learn the new CMS or a general “fear” of implementing new technologies, the instructor may decide to implement the bare minimum to satisfy the blended learning directive or may reject the CMS out of hand.”