The Educause Center for Applied Research released a research bulletin, Web 2.0, Personal Learning Environments, and the Future of Learning Management Systems by Niall Sclater, Open University (subscription required). The bulletin offers a critical look at the role of LMS versus Personal Learning Environments (PLE) composed of Web 2.0 tools.

ECAR Abstract: "This ECAR research bulletin details the arguments emerging in the blogosphere and elsewhere both for and against the learning management system. It examines whether the LMS is destined to continue as the primary means of organizing the online learning experience for university students. The bulletin is a companion to an earlier ECAR research bulletin that examines the factors leading to the selection of the open source learning management system at the Open University in the United Kingdom."