For providers of education and business organizations, online learning is no longer about joining the digital bandwagon. Online learning has been proven to enhance learning outcomes and boost productivity by a significant amount. The reports from the online learning industry show a clear standing for the trend and its impact; online learning is anticipated to be a $37.6 billion market by 2020.
Learning management system, or LMS, is going to be the mainstay product for all learning strategies in the future. For those who have started believing in the power and need of online learning, the first puzzle to solve is what kind of LMS they need. We bring here a quick guide on what goes into picking the best LMS software and the LMS features that you need.
User Experience
User Experience always finds itself in the LMS features list; that is a must for a rewarding LMS, it’s key to acceptance of any online learning platform by all the stakeholders. If your LMS doesn’t provide a convenient user experience, no matter how robust it is, it will be a cause of annoyance for end users and admins. An intuitive user interface with responsive web design is a mandate for all modern LMS.
Mobility
More than half of the digital content worldwide is consumed on mobile devices, and so is e-learning. Mobility is a mandate for any learning platform if you want to capture the entire audience. A platform should have device-agnostic web-responsive delivery across platforms. Mobile apps are a must for e-learning success; learners tend to access lesson bites on the go, which is best delivered through apps. This also helps in enhanced learning and in longer retention.
Course Authoring Tools
When you decide on implementing online learning in your education or training programmes, one important consideration is whether to build the digital courses yourself or get them done from digital courseware service providers. Regardless, course authoring capability is important for modern e-learning platforms. There may come a time when you need to write your courses yourself; course authoring capability is an important part of the LMS features list to be considered.
Assessments and Feedback
Assessments are an integral part of any learning programme; they help in measuring learners’ comprehension and implement relevant strategies to enhance it. An LMS should have tools to take assessments in various ways, depending on your needs. It could be written exams, multiple objective questions, online simulations, or scenarios. Feedback is an important way to get opinions and views on the approval of courses, teaching methodology, and the platform. Advanced LMS also has a certification tool, wherein upon successful completion of courses, certificates are generated within the system.
Customization, Personalization, Scalability
There are hundreds of LMS providers, and there are millions who are going to use them. Your organization, training model, and brand are unique, and so are your LMS feature requirements. You might need to tweak some of the features, add personalization to your online learning, and provide personalized lessons to members or groups of learners. Scalability is important; your LMS may need new features in the future, and the platform should be able to integrate them without any hassle. Your new LMS should also be able to integrate your branding elements in its user interface and carry the core message of your organization.
Interactivity/ Gamification
The success of modern LMS is partly attributed to the interactivity and gamification that it can implement. You need to consider what level of interactivity and gamification you need for your courses to deliver enhanced learning. Training on design courses needs a lot of interactive elements, while delivering history lectures may not, the content will be different, and so will be the teaching method. Augmented reality is being used in the training of design, architecture, healthcare, and many other fields.
Social Collaboration
Social media is a wonderful place for discussion and the exchange of ideas. If your LMS provides access to social media groups and blog posts, it’s a valuable add-on. Learners want to share ideas and get feedback from peers, and collaborative learning is also known to alleviate the drab of exhaustive learning.
Reporting And Analytics
Tracking is one of the important LMS features. To ensure effective learning, it’s important to keep an eye on student progress and course impact. Various aspects of e-learning can be tracked. You need to pin down what aspects you want to track and know whether your prospective LMS provides them. Customizable tracking is an advanced feature contained in modern LMSs. mon’k is a modern LMS with high customizability and scalability. It gives granular reports on various aspects of learning, helping admins implement an effective strategy for enhanced learning outcomes.
An effective LMS is crucial to the success of any online learning programme. Choosing an LMS that fulfils all your requirements and gives satisfactory return on investment needs a lot of consideration; it’s wise to do research and consult with prospective LMS software providers. It’s a time-consuming process that needs careful deliberation.
The above-discussed list of LMS features includes important ones for any learning programme; besides, educators also need to see if they need features like Instructor-led classes and an adaptive learning engine. They need to decide whether they need a cloud-based platform or installed software. Security and compatibility are important factors for a trouble-free LMS. Any unwanted feature needs to be avoided as it may distract the users and result in needless cost escalation.
Elearning Trends on the Radar for Year 2018
