This article was originally published in TechTrends, May 2020.
The final publication is available via the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative.

**For a totally free, non-paywalled version, you can also read the accepted manuscript.**

The Fault in our Systems: LMS as a Vehicle for Critical Pedagogy

Kathryn R. Green
Michigan State University
Emory University

Haynes L. Chewning
Emory University

Postsecondary instructors and students alike perceive the primary function of a learning management system (LMS) as a means of static information dissemination, particularly assessment-related information such as grades. Subsequently, the most-used LMS features are those that facilitate such information transfer. Perhaps because of these usage patterns and perceptions, a growing number of scholars and practitioners are calling for alternatives to the LMS. This article argues, however, that the LMS is not limited to (nor designed around) its current use as a grade delivery service, but can, rather, be leveraged as a vehicle for critical pedagogy and praxis through technology. Specifically, we seek to explore some of the current uses and perceptions of the LMS in higher education, as well as considerations and implications for faculty and educational technologists working with these systems in higher educational contexts.

Keywords:  learning management systems, critical pedagogy, higher education, next generation digital learning environments