Integrated Learning Systems (ILS) are computer-based instruction tools, support instruction, and help to summarize student progress. ILS's are are provided through network or online sources amd are the most expensive of instructional software. This is basically an easy way to get everything you need as a teacher without having to shop around or research and buy different software for your different needs in the classroom. 

Selecting Good Integrated Learning Systems

When deciding what ILS to choose, teachers and school administrators should carefully review the ILS, choosing it based on curriculum and pedagogical needs, as well as the usefulness reported and if it meets the needs of the school district. ILS's need to be helpful to both the teachers and the school administrators.

Benefits of Integrated Learning Systems

It can be difficult for teachers and schools to spend hours looking for everything they need to create an ideal learning environment and to allow students to meet their optimal needs for learning. Buying an ILS can get rid of all of that time spent looking for the perfect software, allowing for teachers and schools to focus on other thins. Two other beneficial developments have caused a rise in the purchase and usage of ILS's:

• District and state-adopted academic standards - when an increased emphasis on educational accountability caused states to set curriculum standards and create tests to measure students' progress, ILS's helped teachers to meet the standard needs
• Accountability requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act - ILS's help provide services for schools who fail to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for 3 years in a row

Limitations and Problems with Integrated Learning Systems

Many vendors believe that ILS's are the solution to educational problems, but there are some negatives to keep in mind when looking for an ILS to use:

• The costs of ILS's - the ILS can be very expensive and may not impact learning as much as a teacher or school may think it will
• Research on ILS impact - although there were a few cases where ILS's impacted students learning in a positive way, there was no predictable pattern to determine if the ILS will actually continue to positively affect student learning
• Concerns about the role of the ILS - some people criticize the ILS approach because they believe that it is an attempt to continue with individualized instruction, and it causes a lack of teach involvement and understanding in the classroom