What’s an LMS?
A learning management system, or LMS, is a fancy word for software that helps users create, administer, manage, and analyze eLearning courses and trainings. As a centralized hub for information and learning resources, LMSs are essentially the engine that powers eLearning. Without this software, educational institutes have a hard time hosting and evaluating trainings, courses, and other eLearning initiatives. Most LMSs now are cloud-based and have the look and feel of a regular website that administrators, instructors, and students can all access.
Why Do I Need an LMS?
#1. LMSs make administration easy
Administrative tasks are a breeze with LMSs. Modern learning management systems aim for the most user-friendly interfaces possible to simplify user processes and functions. Developers understand that administrators may not be as tech-savvy and design the programs to be so easy to use that no IT experience or knowledge is required. Administrators have every tool available to simplify their work processes; they can add and remove courses or materials, import and export files, control user options, and thousands of other configurable options available only via the LMS platform.
#2. Software that facilitates learning
Learners, especially those of the tech savvy generation, appreciate a central location where training, courses, and resources are held. They especially like deviating from the traditional classroom learning and are opting for online-based courses instead. Why is this so? LMSs provide intuitive and interactive learning environments that engage the student to learn in a fun but structured way. Software for learning provides far greater resources and tools than a traditional classroom would, making learning diverse for students and facilitates the development of skills via the LMS.
#3. 24/7 remote access with LMSs
Depending on who you talk to, they will tell you that one of the most useful features to emerge from LMSs is a responsive interface that gives administrators, instructors, and students access to courses and resources around the clock 24 hours, 7 days a week. To a regular user, LMSs just look like websites with URLs and login credentials instead of a software platform. The best LMSs on the market offer mobile apps for phones, tablets, and other devices where users can access information just as they would on the regular website. Most educational institutions see a benefit in this when training faculty and staff, hosting seminars and workshops, and administrating a database of students in remote geographical areas of the world. For example, a university campus with several branches can offer online semester-long courses to students at different campuses at the same time. LMSs promote flexible learning and strive to shift learning focus to a more adaptable way for administrators, instructors, and students.
#4. LMSs provide consistent learning resources
Since traditional classroom learning depends heavily on the instructor, students may receive inconsistent information, resources, and materials from different sources and that can hinder the learning process. With LMSs, all learning materials are standardized for all users of the course independent of their location or the time they are accessing the course. Online courses via LMSs are usually naturally intuitive and self-guided to shift the learning development responsibility from the instructors to the learners. Inconsistent learning resources also make it very difficult to measure and evaluate how the materials provided by the teacher have impacted student’s success in the course; but with learning management systems, tracking and reporting for courses is automatic and in real time.
#5. Tracking and reporting capabilities
Educational institutions need to be able to measure, evaluate, and present data as evidence that students are receiving quality information that is actually leading to productive learning. Classroom-based courses without LMSs are difficult to track and are highly subjective to teacher influence: did a training fail or work because of the instructor or was it the coursework that was not engaging enough? LMSs take the guesswork out of this task by tracking, evaluating, and reporting on course activity and measuring them against course goals. So, when it comes time to present result, educational institutes simply login to their LMSs and download instantaneous reports in real time to show their data
#6. LMSs are a cost-effective approach to learning
In comparison to hiring teachers or instructors for every classroom, LMSs automate the learning process and provide educational institutes with a cost-effective way to get courses and materials out to their student body. Similarly, LMSs also allow for the educational sector to have a broader reach of education as courses are web-based and are not tied down to a physical location; institutions can then offer more classes to more students without the need to expand its classroom quantity and sizes.
Implementing a learning management system in your educational institute doesn’t have to be a headache. Companies like Computer Aided eLearning CAE help with every step of the process to put LMSs into practice for the educational sector. Learn more about CAE LMS for the educational sector here.
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