What is learning management system? That could probably be the question that has been bugging you for quite some time. Why do you keep on hearing about this learning management software at dinner parties and business meetings? From the word itself, you could surmise that it is a learning-related system. Why would you concern yourself with it when it should be the problem of educational institutions? Fortunately, this article will enlighten you about its basic functions and how different institutions could benefit from using it.
Basic Concepts About Learning Management System (LMS)
Knowing functions of learning management system is essential if you want to know the effective ways of using it. It would be difficult for anyone to decipher how to use something if you have no idea about it in the first place. To make your life easier, the basic facts about LMS are broken down so you could understand every word related to it.
The word learning pertains to its use in the delivery of training programs or electronic educational courses being implemented by schools and companies. Management, on the other hand, concerns about its use in the organization of the educational and training courses that you are implementing. It helps you do different important management-related functions about the courses. It includes creating files, changing or editing, assigning, grading, and others. Meanwhile, the system is also called software because it is a computer program developed specifically to help in the learning process.
What does top learning management software do? To sum it up, LMS is a web-based technology used in planning, implementing, and assessing a specific learning course. This course is being implemented by different institutions. It is a great tool to help an instructor or the person in charge in creating and delivering the content. It also helps in the monitoring of the inputs of the trainees and assessment of the overall performance. Depending on the software that you have, some may also offer interactive features. It has discussion forums, video conferencing and threaded discussions to facilitate better interaction.
The LMS has two parts, which are:
- The users’ interface accessed by trainees or students and administrators. It runs inside an existing web program like Facebook and Gmail.
- The second one is the server part that handles the core functions of the software program. These are the creation, management, and delivery of courses, notifications, and authentication of users.
Is the LMS Use Exclusive for the Educational Institutions?
The answer is no. This is the simplest and most outright answer to the question. Educational institutions usually are the first thing that comes to mind if you are talking about learning. But the process of imparting knowledge to other people is not limited to them. Anyone who has an eLearning program may use LMS to help them enhance the implementation of their learning program.
As such, businesses of any size may use LMS for the purpose of educating and training their employees. The influx of outsourcing paved the way for companies to have employees even from different geographical locations. Being miles away from the head office is not actually the problem. It is because businesses could still make sure that their employees are competent through the help of LMS.
Who uses top learning management software aside from schools and businesses? Check the following non-exhaustive list of the entities that use LMS:
- Local governments and government agencies
- Different organizations around the world that could be as large as the United Nations to your neighborhood cooperative
- Non-profit and non-government organizations
- Online educational institutions
3 Effective Ways on How to Use LMS for Different Purposes
Besides the fact that LMS is an effective tool for learning in this age, it has other uses that you could maximize. This is to achieve its full potential that will help your organization or business grow. Look at the following list to know what these aspects are:
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Avoid Costly Penalties by Keeping Your Compliance Regulations Updated
Compliance regulations frequently change and there are instances when these changes happen at a moment’s notice. Updating your traditional printed documents may take time and money. While it is still good to have those documents updated, time is of the essence when talking about regulation updates. Failure to comply with the changes in the regulations could result in costly penalties. Save your company from incurring unnecessary additional expenses with the help of LMS. This is a good reason why use top learning management software.
Updating your online training courses is easy with the use of LMS. The new compliance standards could be integrated into the program in a matter of minutes. This way, both new and old learners, will be updated regarding the new regulations. This is an effective way of ensuring that all the employees and learners are aware of the latest changes in the regulations.
The LMS proves to be an invaluable tool in disseminating the company policies and expectations. As a result, the employee’s turnover rate could decrease. Satisfied employees give a higher performance, which in return could mean higher customer satisfaction.
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Capacitate Learners With Unlimited Access to Learning Materials
Learning is a continued and essential process that can help increase the performance of your learners. It happens where ever you are, be it in a university or a business setting. Uploading tons of eLearning materials and making it available to all the learners gives them plenty of opportunities to learn at their own phase.
It is a good option especially for those who are on the go. You could log in to your account by using your smartphone or other internet capable devices such as laptop and tablet. Learning does not need to be sacrificed even if you are on travel for a business meeting. Make every moment count by reading the materials while waiting for your flight.
You do not need to wait for the next training session to start. The system enables you to fast-track and to improve the learning process by reading the available materials. Someone who has the right initiative to read in advance may happen to encounter some materials that could help him develop his skills. This could also let him achieve a higher performance.
Living on the other side of the world is not a problem because you can access the materials in your most convenient time. You are not required to follow the time zone of your trainer. Oftentimes, this could result in a lower performance because of tired, sleepless nights.
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Automation of Employee or Student Orientation
A basic orientation is necessary for anyone who is new to an institution or an organization, even students. The traditional tour and introduction may still serve its purpose to make the new member feel at ease. However, the detailed orientation is another thing. How long does it take to orient someone with all the policies and regulations? How long would it take to give the details of the roles and responsibilities of the new employee? Even the learning management software for schools has a feature that can help administrators in this regard.
This for sure will take some time. The time that you could have to spend doing something that needs immediate concern. Instead of giving lengthy orientations with someone who will forget everything you said before the night falls. Let us face it. No matter how enthusiastic you are in giving the orientation, it is hard to remember all the orientation details. Why waste so much time in a task like this when you could automate it with the help of LMS? How to use learning management software to achieve its full potential depends on you.
Reviews of top learning management software published at CrowdReviews.com will make you aware of its different uses.
Automation of the orientation process is an example. Besides saving time, it is also beneficial because the new hire can access the documents anytime. Also, they can refer back to it whenever they need to. You do not need to have a photographic mind to remember all the race and sexual harassment policies, company benefits, or the employee code of conduct. Simply, you can read it at a time that is most convenient to you. Not only were you able to save time, but you can also educate the new hires. This happens by automating the orientation with the help of LMS.
Now that you are aware of the different effective means on how to use LMS, the question is where to find top learning management software. Though this system is meant for use by different entities, what is best for one could mean otherwise to you. For example, a university may need a different set of LMS features compared to a business who have employees around the globe. A local organization might find a specific LMS capability helpful while an international organization could find it otherwise.
Knowing how you could effectively use LMS is a way of unleashing its full potential. However, you could only maximize its features if you are able to find the right one for you. It is a relief to know that top learning management software reviews are available at CrowdReviews.com. To get an idea on the highlights and drawbacks of each LMS, you can take some time to reading clients’ feedbacks.
Keith Moore
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