Design of an Online Learning Management System for a Private Secondary School in Abuja

Private secondary schools in Abuja increasingly seek digital tools for blended learning delivery, assessment automation, and parent-teacher communication, particularly following the disruptions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study presents the design and implementation of a Learning Management System for a private secondary school in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory. The LMS was developed using Moodle (open-source), customised for the Nigerian secondary school context with additional plugins for Nigerian curriculum alignment, parental access dashboards, and SMS notification integration. Teachers can create course content, administer quizzes, grade assignments, and communicate with parents. Students access materials and submit assignments through a mobile-responsive interface. Requirements were gathered from 20 teachers, 5 school administrators, and 30 parents through workshops and questionnaires. A three-month pilot was conducted across five subjects and two class levels, involving 180 students. Student assignment submission rates via the LMS reached 87 percent compared to 62 percent under the preceding physical submission system. Parents used the dashboard to monitor attendance and academic progress an average of 2.3 times per week. Teacher satisfaction with the grading workflow was rated 4.3 out of 5.0. The study recommends extension of the system to other class levels and consideration of mobile application packaging for improved student accessibility.

Keywords: learning management system, secondary school, Moodle, Abuja, blended learning