Learning Management System (LMS) is a software application that is used to plan, execute, and assess a specific learning process.
What is a Learning
Management System (LMS)?
LMS
(Learning Management System) is a software application specially designed for
management, documentation, tracking, reporting, automation, and delivery of
educational content.
Learning
Management System enables administrators to upload educational content, present
lessons to students, provide notifications, share data with approved users and
can help improve learning, make it faster, cost-effective, productive, and
what's more important - trackable.
A self-hosted learning management system is very easy to use and generally costs
a one-time perpetual license fee. A self-hosted system is installed automatically
on hard disks or even access to corporate servers.
LMS can be
considered as the heartbeat of e-learning in its various divisions and type, as
this computer program facilitates all methods and opens them up to those who
wish to provide educational content via the Internet, whether those are
training courses, accredited curricula, workshops, and much more that can be
offered.
It is
noteworthy that this system puts in the user's hands a set of tools and
features that make him able to monitor the appropriate style for the student or the learner in the educational process and analyze his skills by subjecting
him to preliminary tests, thus drawing the educational curve for each person
and his levels.
Briefly; a
learning management system is a computer program and application specialized in
implementing educational process blueprints via the web, starting from
planning, implementation, and transition to evaluation afterward.
The teacher
or trainer is able to put the classroom, educational content, and students
under supervision, so he is able to create content, interact with learners, and
evaluate performance for them, and this can all be done by means of distance
learning techniques such as photo conferences, discussion forums, etc.
Characteristics of a
learning management system
10 Must-Have
Characteristics to look for in a modern learning management system include:
1. Ease of
use and easy remote accessibility
2. An
intuitive and learner-friendly interface
3. Content
management is a very basic, but necessary component of a LMS.
4. Security
of data in the learning management system is another must-have feature
5. Gamified
dashboards and support for mobile learning, social learning, and blended
learning
6. Flexible
testing and assessment options
7. Advanced
Reporting and tracking Ability
8. Scope for
Customized Learning Analytics
9. Customization
and branding features is important in LMS to many organizations, particularly
those engaging in e-Commerce.
10. e-Commerce
functionality such as tracking and reporting, payment gateways, notifications,
and support for marketing initiatives.
The importance of a
learning management system
The
importance of the learning management system varied according to the objectives
and strategies of the entity using it, however, the most prevalent goal is to
expand the scope of joining, spreading and following up on online training
initiatives, dispelling distances and saving effort, making it easier for
learners to reach.
LMS is very
important to business success because it provides companies with improved
business results, tracking of employee performance, more control over
employees’ learning processes, assessment of learning efficiency, one overview,
and cost and time savings.
Learning
Management System can also be represented in the form of integrated tools and
new technologies that allow the trainer to develop the techniques and materials
used in online training, with the help of external parties.
An LMS
allows teachers to provide students with resources, communicate changes in
courses, share content, assign work projects, allow collaborations in the
course, and facilitate discussions among students, monitor student goals and
post grades.
The
importance of a learning management system can also be summarized as the
following:
- A Learning Management System gives a student the power to completely eliminate printed e-learning materials, the costs of teacher travel and online training site rentals.
- LMS provides an opportunity for employees to acquire unprecedented skills through training. A business tool is described as effective for enterprises and organizations, whether large or small.
- LMS is an effective guide in the use of new technologies.
- LMS preserves a huge amount of data and information and returns to it with ease, as it is considered a repository for it.
- It allows users to access the information at any time they need this information.
- It helps provide optimum support for an implementation process for learning, training and knowledge sharing.
- It continues to update data, information and training content at any time.
- It allows training materials and resources to be widely disseminated by specialized channels to promote them.
- It helps companies minimize training-related disruptions to their daily workflows.
- It saves time and effort, so that the official working hours are not depleted when training employees, as the employee is absent from his office for long hours under the pretext of training.
- It eliminates trainees and specialists in providing training courses, thus saving more money.