Today, almost every industry is leveraging technology-driven solutions and education is not the exception. With the outstanding benefits eLearning and learning management systems bring companies and educational institutions, this technology attracts more and more attention.
What is an LMS? What basic features should you add? And what benefit does custom LMS development offer? Inoxoft is here to explain.
What is an LMS?
Let’s start with the basics and define what a learning management system means.
The purpose of learning systems is to facilitate learning activities by delivering them in different formats. By storing course content, tracking progress, it helps manage the entire learning process.
Custom LMS development usually includes setting up a platform that allows you to implement and manage learning programs. Also, it consists of a couple of interfaces, so each stakeholder can seamlessly interact with it: learners, teachers, administrators, and management.
Learning management systems consists of two parts: an admin interface and a user interface. The first one includes such features like creating the course materials, onboarding users, creating reports and providing feedback on progress. And the user interface is where learners access, review and complete online courses.
The most common features of LMS allow you to
- create and manage learning courses
- use content management tools
- provide reporting and analytics capabilities
- organize information with help of the dashboard
- provide an online examination
- check attendance
- set up events (classes) in calendars
- create users profiles (student/ teacher)
- Incorporate gamification into the learning process
- insert educational material from third parties websites
- interact via different of communication tools (chats, emails, video conferencing)
Who uses an LMS?
Custom LMS development is not limited to specific types of business or industries. Anyone who is related somehow to learning activities can take advantage of a learning management system. Here are a few types of institutions that most often uses LMS platforms.
Educational institutes
Schools and universities are the most obvious LMS users. As it is an excellent tool to run courses and classes on a daily basis. Also, it’s an opportunity to engage the tech-savvy generation and encourage them to achieve better learning outcomes.
Authorities agencies and non-profit organizations
LMS is popular among government and non-profit organizations as it is a great tool to that conduct external training and awareness programs for different communities.
Business
For lots of companies, employee development is a part of their strategy, so that’s a reason why learning systems are adopted by a range of companies: from retailers to tech firms. A corporate business (regardless of its scale or industry) benefits from LMS solutions when organizing employee training and development. It is the easiest way to improve learning outcomes.
Online schools and independent tutors
Institutions and schools that carry out online courses can benefit from an LMS by integrating all their content into an easy-to-manage platform. They also can sell their programs with payment gateways, pricing plans, and membership programs.
Benefits LMS brings to learning
Integrating technology to help learners produce creativity, and reflect ideas can perform the essential functions:
- Provide more access to education
- Make the learning process inclusive
- Help manage and organize educational courses
- Facilitate teaching effectively by automatization
- Engagee more learners
- Incorporate more innovations in education (e.g. gamification, remote learning, etc)
How exactly can it benefit organizations and educational institutions? Let’s take a look.
Increased efficiency
A top-notch LMS solution brings efficiency to the learning process. With standardized templates and easily accessible learning material, course creation becomes a seamless process. Teachers can adjust course content on each learning platform, monitor the learning progress of each student, and, give out assignments.
Improved engagement
A learning management system is a good solution for those who are looking for self-paced learning. LMS allows learners to access online programs and course materials from any location at any time convenient to them. Also, teachers can integrate elements (e.g. videos, presentations, gamification tools, etc) to make their courses more fun. When learning is more convenient and accessible,expect better engagement and improved learning results.
Control of the learning process
An LMS platform contains a huge amount of data. which would have been impossible to manage manually. Also, when you manage all activities in one place, you receive overall control of the learning process. It will allow you to standardize activities, from course creation and delivery to assessment and tracking.
Access to content
With your own Learning Management System all the content is stored in one place, reducing the risk of losing important information. Once you upload your studying materials on the LMS, it will become available to all users all the time. From now on each stakeholder can access data (depending on the level of access) through the cloud storage system 24\7.
Learning analytics
Metrics and analytics can identify which training module are effective and which users are having trouble with.when reviewing analytics, so managers can support their staff members or adjust it. With an LMS organization ensures that every employee is on track with their requirements and professional training goals. And, employers can easily control their employees’ training performance.
Scalability and adaptability
There’s an LMS solution for every organization, regardless of its requirements and budget. If you need feature-rich LMS and have distinct user requirements, you better go for custom LMS development. In this case, LMS can be specifically adapted to satisfy your organization’s needs. However, these are less expensive options, if cost is an issue. You can always find an open-source, low-budget learning management system. with basic features, .that will cover your needs.
To sum up
If you’ve been managing your learning activities manually, a custom LMS development can surprise you. A learning management system is an all-in-one solution and an essential tool to organize training, create courses, manage the learning process online and track the progress.
Moreover, not only traditional educational institutions like schools and universities can benefit from LMS. Also, government, non-profits, corporate businesses, and online schools, can boost engagement, provide better control over learning processes, and get greater scalability to fit their organizations.
