Do You Need an LMS or an LCMS?

The education and training industry had had a major shift in recent years. More and more teaching and learning is now taking place online.

Whether this is as part of a blended learning or flipped classroom programme, or whether through fully online course provision, if your educational organisation is offering eLearning tuition, you’ll need to invest in the right tools for the job.

Learning platforms such as learning management and learning content management systems offer complete digital solutions for online training providers. They make it easier than ever before to create, host and access digital learning content.

Though these two types of software are often spoken of interchangeably, they actually fulfil two very different needs.

If you’re not sure whether your organisation is in need of an LMS or an LCMS, please read our guidance below.

What is a learning content management system (LCMS)?

A learning content management system is a software package concerned with the creation and development of learning resources and online course materials.

It allows both teachers and administrative staff to author materials in order to create successful courses that engage their students and enable them to succeed.

An LCMS also provides a cloud based storage system for learning resources, meaning that both staff and students can access them from wherever they are with whatever device they have to hand.

What is a learning management system (LMS)?

A learning management system is a software package concerned with the delivery of eLearning courses and the communication between teachers, students and the larger student body.

It offers both staff and students a virtual campus where they can access virtual classrooms, share discussions, host forum conversations, engage with learning and revision materials, track progress and manage assessments.

One of the major benefits of a learning management system is that it is effective both for students who are part of blended learning programmes and for students who are taking on a fully online course.

Whichever type of course you’re offering, cloud based LMS software means that students can access learning materials from wherever they choose. All they will need is a wifi connection and a digital device such as a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone.

Which system is right for you?

Whether a learning management system (LMS) or a learning content management system (LCMS) is right for you will depend on what the exact needs of your educational organisation are.

Every organisation is different, and you may find that you need different supportive software than other education providers of your type.

You need an LMS if…

…you want to be able to administrate course enrolments, payments and staffing from one central hub.

…you want to be able to easily track students and evaluate progress at the touch of a button.

…you want to be able to keep track of communication between teachers and students.

…you want to be able to host virtual classroom learning.

…you want to offer students and staff a variety of ways to keep in touch and communicate new ideas with each other.

…you want to be able to offer students easy access to course materials and learning resources.

…you want to be able to easy create your own tests and assessments, and get the results back instantly.

…you want to be able to download exhaustive reports on assessment results and progress.

…you want to be able to easily plan and administrate weekly schedules.

You need an LCMS if…

…you want to design completely customised courses that meet your students exact needs and requirements.

…you want to ensure your learning materials and course content meet professional standards such as SCORM and AICC.

…you want to be able to upload and host learning materials in a full variety of digital formats.

…you want to be able to access a full archive of quality training and learning materials which are all easily customisable for your courses and your students.

…you want to have a central cloud based hub for your students and staff to access these learning materials.

Still not sure which learning platform is right for your educational organisation?

If you’re still not sure whether your organisation needs an LMS, an LCMS or both, please get in touch.

Our Voluxion learning platform is specially designed for educational establishments such as schools, colleges, universities, language schools and training providers. We offer two versions of to software package: a learning management system and a learning content management system.

It can sometimes be difficult to know which option is the best one for your organisation. With this in mind, we offer a free consultation on our learning platforms. Whatever questions you have, we would be happy to talk you through the various options available and to help you explore which one is right for you, your staff and your students.

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