- LMS plays a crucial role in modern education and training, with a 900% revenue growth in 2019, making eLearning more relevant than ever before.
- When choosing an LMS, it is essential to determine the needs and requirements of the users, considering factors like intuitiveness, customizability, accessibility, and integrability.
- Hosting is a crucial consideration when selecting an LMS, as it can impact costs and data security, with options for self-hosting or cloud-based hosting available.
Learning should be fun! This has always been the thrust of education and training. This is where a good Learning Management System (LMS) comes in!
New doors are opened with eLearning software development. According to CMS Wire, LMS is a software application that allows companies and educational institutions to manage lessons and training.
LMS has gone a long way since its inception in 1924, having a 900% growth in 2019 revenue since 2000. Given the rising technology and the recent pandemic, eLearning has become more relevant than ever and will continue to boom in the future.
Choosing your preferred LMS should not simply be on a whim, but there are factors you need to check first. There are companies that offer eLearning software development for educational and business industries and here you can learn more about the types of LMS and their key features.
7 Things to Know When Choosing An LMS
Determine Your Needs
Chocolate is delicious and satisfying, but not everyone craves it or needs it. You must have a clear idea of what your trainees need at the onset – this is your first step, even before considering eLearning software development.
Identify the specific information or skillset that users expect to achieve after the eLearning. With hundreds of eLearning platforms to choose from, you must be able to pinpoint the most suitable LMS through their needs.
Define Your Requirements
Based on the learners’ needs, translate them into the demands of the LMS system. You can choose any or a combination of the following, depending on your requirements:
Pure eLearning – trainees undergo training online only.
Blended Learning – a portion of the training is online; other modules are hands-on.
Instructor-led training – an instructor guides the trainees individually or as a group.
Intuitiveness
From the start-up, the interface of the LMS must be intuitive and easy to navigate. This is where your team devises online training courses, so it must be a user-friendly platform.
The layout of the LMS must be well-organized and free from unnecessary elements. All users – developers, admin, and learners must not have a hard time browsing through the system.
Breadcrumbs are concrete examples of simplifying navigation back to the home page with just a click. Trainers must be able to do tasks with ease and access to analytical tools.
Customizability
A great LMS is something that can be tailor-fitted to your company and audience’s needs. Also, this is an opportunity to capitalize on your brand image.
According to Forbes, customization is one of the best ways to position your company’s branding.
By customizing themes, logos, multimedia, and other LMS elements, you can create an impression on employees, allowing them to connect with the organization.
If you want a particular content or module to be more discoverable than the others, you can do this by setting up the user interface.
Accessibility
Last 2013, Learner Mobile introduced a mobile app last to continue connecting its LMS to learners. Today, there are different forms of gadgets like desktops, laptops, phones, and tablets.
The LMS must be accessible across multiple major platforms!
It would be convenient for the audience just to pick their preferred device and use it anywhere.
Integrability
Gone are the days for stand-alone applications. If your LMS works in isolation and fails to integrate with another program, you cannot maximize its potential.
Your LMS must be able to integrate with the following elements to enjoy a wide range of benefits:
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Platforms:
- Sync information of LMS & CRM
- Easy access of training materials by learners
- Easy monitoring of admin on course registration
E-mail Marketing Tools:
- Easy mail contacts syncing
- Efficient material dissemination
- Faster email invites
Google Analytics
- Analyze popularity level of courses
- Check visitor influx daily or weekly
Social Media (e.g., LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.)
- More online visibility of LMS since users share training certificates on their profile
- Helps in selling LMS through promotion in social feeds
Hosting
It’s essential to determine the host for your LMS. Your LMS supplier provides you with the application, but it’s your decision if you want to do the hosting yourself or you need a cloud-based host.
Opting for a full-fledged IT team to support your LMS could translate to expenses. The bigger the software, the bigger the expenses. If the cost compensates for the data security & responsiveness, this could be a viable option.
Conclusion
The LMS is an essential tool but be careful to choose the one that fits your organization’s needs and skills. It must be easy to use and flexible enough for customization.
The program must be accessible in major technological devices and should be capable of integrating with other applications. Lastly, determine how your want to support your LMS – by external or internal hosting.
Before jumping to any LMS, carefully go over these things to pick the best LMS that suits your needs.
