8 Features of the LMS of the Future

One of the core foundations of a successful online course is the Learning Management System (LMS). Much like front-line customer service, the LMS is what gives students their impression of the course. A difficult, outdated, hard-to-navigate LMS can negate even the best, most dynamic teaching and make students question the value of their program.

Of course, the question of what makes a high-quality LMS is made more difficult with the ubiquity of tablets and smartphones — 64 percent of Americans now own smartphones. Even more critically, an increasing percentage of the population is “smartphone-dependent,” meaning they have a smartphone but have limited or no options for accessing the Internet other than through their phone. Given these demographic and technological shifts, developing an LMS that can meet the changing needs of the population is more important than ever.

But developing an in-house LMS is expensive, time-consuming and not necessarily worth the resources required. There are plenty of LMS options available, from market leaders Moodle and Blackboard to the smaller but still significant Desire2Learn and Instructure. How can an institution choose an LMS that meets the needs not only of learners today, but also of tomorrow? Here are eight considerations for a scalable, sustainable LMS.

User Experience

I remember when I switched from Windows to using my Mac, the difference was like night and day. Functions that had once been hidden or took several clicks to access were all of a sudden at my fingertips. This same change can happen with the right LMS. Traditional LMS interfaces often look clunky and can be hard to navigate. Users may not know how to access their syllabus, upload assignments, or participate in the discussion board. A clean, intuitive LMS interface is critical to keep students engaged. The interface should feel modern and resemble the tools students already use in the rest of their digital lives.

Cross-Device Accessibility

I touched on this above, but you cannot assume that students will be accessing the LMS from a computer anymore. Thus, the most effective courses will work on all devices, from smartphones to tablets to laptops to desktops. My best advice is to start small. Make sure it works on the smallest device (a smartphone, most likely) and then expand from there.

Universal Design Principles

As I mentioned in my Educause 2015 roundup, implementing universal design features is becoming increasingly important. This standard, which ensures that everyone is able to learn, regardless of ability, is not only good practice, it’s becoming federally enforced. Using these principles requires creative thinking, a use of many kinds of media and offering options for content — all things an LMS is uniquely suited to provide.

Collaborative and Social Options

Feeling connected to community is a critical part of the learning experience. Some of my closest friends were made in my college classes, when we bonded over projects (or how difficult the professor was!). Creating an environment where that kind of collaboration can happen without face-to-face interaction is important, and becoming easier. Much as students want their LMS to mimic the devices they use every day, they also want their social engagement to mimic their social interaction online. The good news is, many students have a significant portion of their engagement happen online. They are used to commenting, chat rooms, and having conversations online instead of face to face. Making sure the tools to work collaboratively are available, such as shared documents and video conferencing, will make developing a community even easier.

Emerging Model Support

I feel like I talk about this every week, and it’s because I think this is so critical to the future of education. Emerging models include competency-based education, nanodegrees, flipped classrooms and adaptive learning. While there is a lot of chatter around these models, the implementation has been slow. What I am sure of, though, is that the implementation is coming, and the learning environment of the future must be able to accommodate these emerging models.

Personalization

Increasingly, we live in a personalized world. No longer is the model of the faceless student sitting in a large lecture hall considered acceptable. Now, students want a personalized experience, adapted to their needs and tailored to their learning styles. The future environment needs to be able to adapt to various teaching styles, different configurations, and adjust to the student.

Integration with External Tools

I am a huge fan of the Getting Things Done system and the Nozbe app — I use them all the time in my own life, and encourage my colleagues to do the same. There are a number of tools, from Evernote to video conferencing to calendars, that can enhance the classroom. An LMS with the capability to integrate with external tools will be more effective and help students maximize their learning experience.

Data Analytics

One of the themes running through this post is that a high-quality LMS is one that adapts and changes. Data is critical to making smart decisions, and the right LMS will acquire that data. Institutions should be able to know everything from class attendance to professor response time to grades and more. This information should be filterable and actionable, so institutions are not faced with a data dump, but rather with information that can be used to improve course design and delivery.

Not only is acquiring data important, but robust reporting capabilities, where institutions can get that data on demand, are vital. The best data in the world will do nothing if there is no easy way to run the report and extract the right information. The learning environment of the future will have robust, customizable reporting.

The LMS is one of the biggest points of engagement for the student, and yet, it is one of the areas where institutions spend the least amount of effort. Knowing what will be important moving forward can help institutions make smart decisions now about the kind of system they should be acquiring. What do you think is the most important feature of an LMS?