If you’ve ever worked or studied, you have probably used a Learning Management System (LMS). Virtually all corporations and educational institutions use them to manage the training and education delivered to their employees or students.
In this blog post, we will delve into the world of Learning Management Systems (LMS). Discover their functionality, how to optimise their usage, and most importantly, explore the top LMS options for the year 2024.
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Virtual learning is an important means of training for thousands of organisations. Virtual learning can be partly or fully virtual. If you have completed online training at your workplace, you will already be somewhat familiar with what a Learning Management System (LMS) does.
We use education to keep ourselves ahead of new trends, technologies and practices in the workplace. All successful companies and institutions require a digital education strategy. A Learning Management System (LMS) is the best implementation method.
An LMS is a software solution that handles every aspect of online learning. They are used to plan, organise, schedule, deliver and report educational content from one place. Virtually all corporate and institutional learning is conducted using an LMS.
Learning management systems simplify the online learning process for educators, administrators and students. They aren’t just used for delivering courses. They are also used for onboarding, data analysis, teaching and identifying skill gaps within your workforce.
LMS are not to be confused with LCMS (Learning Content Management Systems). LCMS are a type of software used to create and manage educational content. Typically content is prepared on an LCMS and delivered using an LMS. The two work in tangent to help businesses deliver their educational strategy.
Learning Management Systems (LMS) come in many shapes and sizes. The needs of a multinational corporation will be different to those of a small school or college. They also differ in being cloud-based or installed as software and locally hosted. Cloud-based Learning Management Systems (LMS) are more popular as they are easily updated, quicker to set up and require less administration.
An LMS can be compared to an online school or website where only users with a password can log in. All online learning tools used by the company are housed in a single location. From the student's perspective, the LMS interfaces them with all available e-learning courses.
From the administrator and educator’s perspective, the learning management system allows the curation and management of all educational materials. Administrators can receive reports from the Learning Management System (LMS) detailing completion rates, skill gaps, the % of users who have passed a given module, etc.
There are two ways of interacting with students using an LMS, online and blended. Online learning is conducted remotely with no in-person contact. Programs designed for online education should be fully equipped to support every aspect of the learning process, often leveraging online course platforms to provide a comprehensive learning experience. Blended learning is when an online component is used to support physical learning. Most in-person courses are blended and utilise an online elearning solution in one way or another.
Learning management systems are sometimes mobile-friendly. One of the benefits of online learning is that it can be conducted remotely, so an LMS should support this. Mobiles and tablets are used more widely than desktop and laptop computers for online learning.
Learning management programs are divided into four categories: SaaS LMS (cloud-based), Installed LMS (on-premise), Custom Built LMS and Open Source LMS.
Learning Management Systems (LMS) vary in what they offer, with larger, more expensive ones providing more feature-rich packages. Here are a few LMS features that we think are essential:
There are a ton of Learning Management Systems (LMS) on the market. They vary in size, cost and functionality. How are you supposed to know the right solution for you and your business?
We have prepared a checklist that you can quickly run through to help you decide what you want from your system.
The first step is to establish your goals and objectives. What do you want your educational strategy to achieve? Goals need to be measurable, realistic and time-limited.
For example, don’t just say you want to use training to “boost sales”. This is undefined and vague. Choose goals and objectives like “increase sales by 10% over the next three months”.
Are you a large marketing company or a small high school? A school may need an LMS with strict moderation options. A marketing company will want a flexible and consistent system that can be updated easily. To find a tailored solution that meets your unique needs, consider taking the time to visit Sortlist.
The less comfortable with technology your audience is, the more you should target an easy-to-use employee training platform with an intuitive UI and navigation system.
Does your audience work from home or from the office? On a desktop PC/laptop or on a mobile device? Suppose your team work remotely from home or rely on mobile devices. In that case, you will want a mobile-friendly LMS that gives your employees the flexibility they are used to.
Here are some more questions you should ask to help narrow your search for the right LMS:
Now you have a clear understanding of your educational strategy and target audience. You should be able to identify a list of essential features. We recommend you include our list of essential features and add some of your own.
Here are some examples of organisational-dependent essential features:
“Nice to have” features are things you would like but don’t consider essential. Note down what features you would like to have and use them to aid you in selecting your Learning Management System (LMS).
Here are some examples of “nice to have” features:
Example 1 - Moodle
Moodle has been around for what seems like forever and is one of the most popular open-source learning management systems. Moodle is used by most European universities to host online educational content. Because it is open source, the setup process can be difficult. Configuring Moodle to your organisation's needs will require professional help.
Example 2 - Canvas LMS
Canvas LMS is the favoured system of some of the world’s top universities. They have a huge market share in the USA and an excellent reputation. Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) is open source and markets itself as easier to use than other systems. Being cloud-based since its creation in 2011 has been a key factor in its rise to success.
Example 3 - Google Classroom
Google Classroom is relatively new and incredibly popular amongst smaller educational institutions. The platform’s popularity has been boosted by being completely free and extremely simple to use. Small organisations needing simple, lightweight management systems would be wise to consider Google Classroom.
Example 4 - TalentLMS
TalentLMS has positioned itself as one of the most user-friendly systems on the market. Limited setup is required and Talent LMS can be used “off-the-shelf”, meaning no coding or in-depth IT knowledge is required. TalentLMS is used by many enterprise clients, including Deliveroo.
LMS Collaborator is a ready-made portal for the educational needs of organisations of all sizes. They offer API integration for seamless interoperability with your existing software systems.
Educators can upload and store course materials in PDF, PowerPoint, and Word formats. Students can experience high-level collaboration using one-to-one messaging, group chats and forums.
LMS collaborator starts at $200 per month for the basic version to $400 per month for the professional version.
Pros
Cons
Absorb LMS differentiates itself by offering many features, including gamification, mobile friendly, messaging, eCommerce functionality and a highly rated user-friendly UI. Absorb LMS caters to mid to large enterprise clients and is not open-source.
The company releases new updates weekly, and overall, the platform offers great value to its customers.
Hosted packages start from $14,500 yearly for up to 500 users to $95,580 yearly for up to 17,500 users.
Pros
Cons
Smaller organisations are priced out by subscription costs
Moodle is one of the most successful LMS in history. It is open source and has been used by tens of millions in dozens of countries. For institutions that have the necessary personnel to administer their system, Moodle is a solid choice.
With the help of specialist IT support, you can configure Moodle in almost any way you want to suit your institution.
Moodle is free, assuming you host using your own servers. A hosted version is available at around $50 per month.
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Canvas LMS is one of the most popular software solutions for corporate education purposes. They are making huge strides in the educational market, focusing on taking market share from popular platforms like Blackboard. Canvas offers an easy-to-use platform that gives users and creators the freedom to tailor their online learning environment.
Canvas offers an open-source, free version of their platform. Like other open-source solutions, this increases setup time and adds costs.
For a CanvasLMS price quote, you need to contact them directly.
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The platform was recently updated and the UI greatly improved. Blackboard is known for having a steep learning curve. Still, users are rewarded with a platform that affords educators and administrators a complete educational resource.
Blackboard Learn starts at $9,500 per year.
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Discover a seamless learning experience at GoSkills' Learning Management System (LMS). With a user-friendly interface and comprehensive course offerings, GoSkills empowers learners to achieve their full potential. Whether honing professional skills or delving into personal development, our platform caters to diverse learning needs. Elevate your knowledge with interactive lessons, expert instructors, and progress-tracking tools. Join GoSkills today and embark on a journey of continuous growth and success.
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LMS play an integral role in institutional-level online training and education. They allow organisations to manage all of their educational materials in one place. Using these systems, we can save time and money using these systems compared to in-person training.
Choosing the best one for your organisation can be difficult, but our checklist has made it simple. After reading this article, we hope you know everything you need to know about learning management systems and LMS trends for 2024.