Introduction to Learning Management Platforms: What You Need to Know
Meaning of Online LMS/MOOC
Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a type of online learning that is accessed through the internet. MOOCs can be taken by anyone with an internet connection and provide massive open courses to learn anything from computer programming to data analysis.
Learning Management Systems (LMS) allow teachers to create course materials, post grades, assign homework and track progress in a class setting. LMS also gives students access to course content, lectures, videos, and other resources while allowing them to work at their own pace on any device that they can access.
Introduction to Learning Management Platforms: What You Need to Know
A Learning Management Platform is software that provides an integrated system for the administration, planning, and delivery of online courses. It manages content creation, course development, enrollment systems, and tracking data from all types of devices. Learning management platforms allow educators to create more robust educational materials that can be shared with students at any time. They also enable instructors to better monitor student progress and provide feedback on assignments through various methods.
Learning Management Systems (LMS) is a software-based or SaaS platform that eases the organization’s management, distribution, and tracking of organizations’ e-learning programs. In brief, it helps the organization’s Learning & Development department to deliver training materials to various audiences as per the requirements and track the performance of each learning.
The fundamental component of an effective learning strategy is the Learning Management System (LMS). It is also known as a complete learning technology solution. LMS is used to position different learning master plans across different formats, experimental, social learning, formal, etc, which helps to manage activities such as certification management, conformity training, gamification, and sales enablement.
The research by Brandon Hall Group shows that 54% of organizations who have invested in learning technology have seen improvements in productivity and engagement. Additionally, 91% of these organizations also reported a stronger link between learning and organizational performance.
Technical Aspects of LMS — Learning Management System is modern and is web-based there are a variety of integration strategies for embedding content into LMSs, including AICC, xAPI (also called ‘Tin Can’), SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model), and LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability). LMSs were originally designed to be locally hosted on-premise, where the organization purchases a license to a version of the software and installs it on their own servers and network. Many LMSs are now offered as SaaS (software as a service), with hosting provided by the vendors.
Through LMS, teachers may create and integrate course materials, articulate learning goals, align content and assessments, track studying progress, and create customized tests for students. LMS allows the communication of learning objectives and organizes learning timelines. LMS’s leverage is that it delivers learning content and tools straight to learners, and it can also reach marginalized groups through special settings. Such systems have built-in customizable features including assessment and tracking. Thus, learners can see in real-time their progress, and instructors can monitor and communicate the effectiveness of learning. One of the most important features of LMS is trying to create streamlined communication between learners and instructors. Such systems, besides facilitating online learning, tracking learning progress, providing digital learning tools, managing communication, and selling content, may be used to provide different communication features.
Features of LMS — Key Features in detailed information
Here are some of the key features that have to be considered in the Learning Management System.
- Admin Automated Tasks — This feature allows administrators to automate repetitive tasks such as user organizing, bulk enrollment, activation & deactivation.
- Platform consolidation — To save money, time, and unnecessary hassles, there should be a single platform for bringing all use-cases which are internal or external. Single LMS for different use cases. Having a single LMS platform helps to avoid paying for different LMS platforms and manage multiple systems.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) — Having an Artificial Intelligence feature to your LMS helps to personalize the learning experience for individual learners by offering course formats that are best suited for each unique individual and suggesting courses with topics that are relevant to those which are already completed.
- Personalized learning paths — Managing various learners and online courses in a learning management system is like drudgery, especially if you want to provide a more tailored experience. As different job roles overlap, certain skill sets are shared, and certain courses are mandatory for all employees, so sequenced learning paths allow you to implement hassle-free enrollments. Personalized learning paths make the journey easier on both admins and learners, as the group a collection of courses in the LMS so that learners can master that particular topic or program.
- Course Management — This feature allows you to conduct and manage course creation, categorize courses, enroll users, and get reports quickly and easily, so your admins need not need to spend unnecessary time on tasks that could be more automated. An automated LMS will enable course management that is in a central location/central repository where they can create courses, assign them, send notifications, change layouts, upload and manage course material, bulk enroll users, configure advanced course settings, and filter courses, channels, and learning plans.
- Intuitive user interface — A learning journey that is clear to understand is easy on the eyes, and facilitates a cohesive flow between dashboards and overviews of courses. User interfaces that are intuitive mean they are easy to use for admins and learners. This results in spending less time learning how to use the LMS and more time learning how to get promoted.
- Certifications and Retraining — Learning Management System should have a feature that allows the tracking and management of all certifications and retraining activities.
- Catalog Management — LMS should have a feature where administrators can easily create and manage courses and course catalogs to deliver more targeted learning users.
- Content integration and interoperability — Learning management systems should support learning content packaged according to interoperable standards such as SCORM, AICC, and xAPI (formerly Tin Can).
- Gamification — LMS should have a feature to engage learners, which increases learner engagement by allowing learners to achieve more points, awards, badges, cash prizes, etc. on all learning activities by the learners.
- Mobile learning — Learning Management System should support mobile devices where users can access learning materials from mobiles from their comfort zones, to better enable learning at the point of need.
- Reporting — One of the most important features an LMS should include is the ability to track and measure the impact that learning programs are having on your business. Your LMS should allow you to derive learning insights through customizable reports and dashboards that provide metrics on learner activity.
- Globalization — It is so important to have an LMS that is equipped with broad language localizations, domain management, and global payment gateways for e-commerce. Learning has to happen and be accessible everywhere, for all learners.
Process in Learning Management System
LMS has a process that allows coordinators to load training materials into a learning management system (LMS) for learners to complete as assigned. The process begins with trainers loading the training materials and ends with reports available of who has completed the training and how they fared on assessments. How easily this process works for organizations is completely depending on the type of LMS that you use for organizations.
When utilizing an LMS, students are afforded some element of control over their learning experience. They can take the assigned eLearning courses at their own pace and repeat segments as needed until they are comfortable with the material presented. As a training coordinator, you can have control over what kind of experience you create for your learners. You can create a simple course where students read material and then answer questions afterward, or design a complete blended learning course utilizing different delivery modalities and more than one method of interaction or assessment. The learning management system process will be entirely your design based on what you hope to accomplish.
Most important key terms for every eLearning professional — There are various phrases, keywords, terms that are used in the eLearning platform.
- Reporting
- Certificates
- Data Management
- eCommerce Support
- Cloud-based LMS
- Multi-Lingual Support
- Offline Learning
- Facility to enroll
- Tracking the skills
- Assessment
- SCORM — Sharable Content Object Reference Model
- Authoring Tool
What are the points to consider while budgeting for your LMS?
What is ROI from online training? How is ROI calculated for an online training program? What is the best budget and investment required for a new online training system? There are many other points like this which are described below.
- Return on investment (ROI)
- Pricing
- Cloud-Based
- By Active Users
- By Usage
- By User
- Self Hosted
- Flat Fee
- Perpetual License
As per various studies, it is evident that training of an employee leads to better development and improved business ROI. With the help of reports and their statistics, it is much easier to identify the best budget for your new Learning Management System for training in your organization. Once you are done with setting up the budget for your eLearning Management System, it is then possible to shortlist the best LMS platform for your organization.
Reasons Why You Need A Learning Management System
Let us understand the reasons that ensure you need a Learning Management System. For every organization irrespective of its size, it is essential to buy a Learning Management System and there are various reasons to justify the same. This holds true even if you are working on your limited resources plan.
- Customization — As an organization, you need to hire a trainer for conducting the training separately for the new as well as existing employees. If you have a good eLearning Platform with customized course modules, it can serve your purpose of managing both parts of the training.
- Flexibility — When it comes to flexibility, the eLearning Platform is the best solution for your employees to upgrade their knowledge. This flexibility of accessing the platform from anywhere at any point of time with the help of the login credentials is the best thing for the employees.
- Savings — When it comes to saving, it is just not only about saving money directly but also about the precious time that can be used to earn more money.
- Compliances — Employees feel happy and satisfied if they can manage their own schedules and manage the day by themselves. For their upgradation, online training is the best solution and it has been observed that the statistics are better if they are allowed the flexibility to learn with the help of an eLearning platform.
- Effectiveness — It is easier to track the effectiveness of both — the eLearning Course material and the eLearning Platform. You can easily check and track the entire assessment results on the Learning management system.
- Talent — A good eLearning Management System can help in retaining the best and top individuals since they are getting good chances of enhancing their skills.
Benefits of Learning Management System.
- LMS allows the organizations to deliver quality e-learning to the entire team without any problems.
- It is very effective and easy to use.
- It is cost-effective when compared to traditional training methods.
- Tracking, Managing, Reporting learner's progress with the LMS system.
- It is a simple, lightweight, efficient, compatible, low-cost training interface.
- Site colors, fonts, and layout may be customized for individual trainees and trainers.
- Saving the time of the personnel, as he can access the training from his house, office, or laptop. No rescheduling of the program necessary.
- Access to customized training i.e. specific training given to a specific individual reduces time spent on training and gives higher ROI.
- Management of users, roles, courses, instructors, facilities, and generating reports becomes easier.
- Learner messaging and notifications possible to remind them about training and answer queries.
- Flexible array of course activities — Forums, Quizzes, Glossaries, Resources, Choices, Surveys, Assignments, Chats, and Workshops to choose from.
Difference between MOOC and LMS
The basic answer is that an LMS is a platform for hosting a course, while a MOOC is a course itself. A MOOC can be run on an LMS, but it doesn’t have to be. In the same way, an LMS can be used to host a course.
Why use MOOC.
- MOOCs give an opportunity to connect openly on a global scale, with global learners.
- From a philosophical perspective, turning higher education into a public good, by allowing anyone to enroll in the courses.
- The ability to experiment with practical methods on a vast scale
- MOOCs typically collect data on student behavior, which can be mined, including data on motivation, online interaction, team collaboration, and learning habits.
- Positive disruption at the higher education and high school levels, in terms of pedagogy.
- Can aid in the flipped classroom scenario.
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are online courses that are offered to a very large number of persons all over the world free of charge. These MOOCs can be offered using an online platform or learning management system. The difference is that MOOC is an online course but the online platform is used to host the course in order to make it accessible to students.
Introducing our software LMS called — vLITE MOOC
vLITE MOOC — E-Learning Platform as Service. Fast to set up E-Learning Solution for educational institutes and Online Learning providers.
Here is the simple flow of vLITE MOOC for the OTT platform
vLITE LMS offers — Custom LMS solutions, which help to manage, organize your learning content with online learners with basic and advanced features as per your requirement at a reasonable cost.
Here are the features of our CMS product.
- Support for Courses, Course Tracks, and Certifications. Student progress tracker and gamification.
- Mixed content including Video, Audio, HTML5, and PDF documents. Online classroom facility integration with Zoom/Twilio/Agora on demand.
- Online assessment with adaptive difficulty. Offline assessment facility, Q&A with the instructor, Parental connect.
- Separate Student and instructor Apps, Student app for Android, iOS, and Web.
- Subscriptions and course purchases, Multiple currencies and locations supported.
- Digital Rights Management (DRM) for content protection. Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) streaming.
- Detailed Metrics and Reports including student, instructor, and course details
- Scalable and reliable SAAS built on AWS Cloud and Lambda.
- 24x7 maintenance and monitoring
Coming to an end.
The learning system abruptly changed in the 21st century with many iterations.
All these can mean one thing only. The future of E-Learning is bright. All we have to do is encourage new eLearning methods to flourish and older E-Learning techniques to evolve.
So, are MOOCs the future of education?
It’s early days yet, but there is already a massive impact on MOOCs and soon we will be witnessing something of a revolution in MOOC. So, it seems MOOCs may well be a leading element in the future of education.
Looking to launch your own MOOC platform? mobiotics can get you all that you need to have your own MOOC up and running. Please explore our MOOC SAAS offering — VLite
Click here to book a 15 Min demo with us to know how vMOOC works
For more information about our product and services please feel free to get in touch with us
Call us at +91 9620209869, or write an email to the sales@mobiotics.com
