32 Learning Management Systems

Mrs. Bindu S. Tambe

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Module Structure

 

31.0 Learning Outcomes

 

31.1 Introduction to LMS

 

31.2 Background / History of LMS

 

31.3 Concept of LMS

 

31.4 Components of LMS

 

31.5 LMS Providers

 

31.6 Characteristics of LMS

 

31.7  Advantages and Limitations, if any

 

31.8 Application of LMSs

 

31.9 Let us sum up

 

 

31.0 Learning Outcomes

 

After going through this module, the learner will be able to:

  • Acquire knowledge about the concept of learning management systems.
  • Develop an understanding of the various components of the learning management systems in detail.
  • Develop an understanding of the various advantages of the learning management systems.
  • Develop an understanding of the few limitations of the learning management systems.
  • Be aware of the applications of the learning management systems in the current scenario.

 

31.1. Introduction

 

A LMS is a web-based software solution to simplify the administration of learning programme. It can track learner progress through a learning programme, provide a forum for collaborating, centralize programme information and scheduling, provide a platform for synchronous and asynchronous courseware and enable the assessment of learning effectiveness (Sun Microsystems, Inc.2001).

 

31. 2 Background

 

Earlier learning took place in a chalk and talk method with the teacher-centric education. Then with the infusion of technology in education, there was a paradigm shift in the way learning experiences were provided to the students.

 

The most recent trend in patterns on learning is e-learning, i.e. technology-enhanced education. Learning programme and materials are hosted and available online, allowing students to learn, interact and even earn or obtain degrees sitting in the comfort of their own homes.

 

Even though the internet allows for hosting the learning material, the challenges of maintaining and administering the instructions over the internet is also to be difficult.Hence, Learning Management Systems (LMS) or the software designed to aid organizations/institutions in managing their e-learning initiatives have mushroomed and there is a huge market for the same.

 

31.3 Concept of LMS

 

LMS embraces any use of web technology to plan, organize, implement and control aspects of the learning process. The most comprehensive description has been given by Greenberg (2002): a high level, strategic solution for planning, delivering and managing all learning events within an organization, including online, virtual classroom, and instructor-led courses.

 

So, basically an LMS is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of e-learning education courses or training programs.

 

LMSs range from systems for managing training and educational records to software for distributing online or blended/hybrid college courses over the Internet with features for online collaboration. Colleges and universities use LMSs to deliver online courses and compliment on-campus courses. Corporate training departments use LMSs to deliver online training, as well as automate record-keeping and employee registration.

 

In educational setting, adoption of LMS has a wide scope. Universities are seeing distance education as the means to the future. It is also seen as a way to decrease costs, decrease the need for classrooms, increase access to education and increase their student population. Instructors also find the use of LMS actually improves their teaching. (Ehrman& Gilbert, 2003)

 

LMS not only delivers content but also handles registering for courses, course administration, skills gap analysis, tracking, and reporting.

 

31.4 Components / features of LMS

 

Since most organizations tend to customize the LMS according to their needs, the typical features are difficult to list out, but the most common features of LMS are:

  • Registration co-ordination
  • Scheduling co-ordination
  • Programme tracking
  • Student tracking
  • Learning assessment
  • Testing of learners
  • Material distribution
  • Reporting

 

It may also include,

  • Online conferencing mechanism,
  • Budget tracking
  • Resource management
  • Learner profiling
  • Online help
  •  Blended learning support
  • Administration tools

 

An effective LMS performs the functions of creating class rosters, controlling registration and creating waiting lists, uploading and managing documents containing curriculum content, delivering course content over a Web-based interface, allowing for an entirely remote educational experience for the instructor and student, creating and publishing course calendars, interacting between students via functionalities like instant messaging, email, and forums, to establishing methods for assessment and testing, such as multiple choice quizzes.

 

It also helps if LMS has additional features like automatic enrollment and reminders for mandatory courses, manager access for approving materials and participation, HR integration for tracking performance goals, course completions and employment eligibility.

 

 

31.5 LMS Providers

 

In choosing an LMS, it’s important for an organization to consider how it plans to deliver training materials to students. Then match the organization’s needs to an LMS that offers the corresponding features. There are different types of LMSs:

 

Free vs. Commercial

 

Free, open-source software is free. It can also be modified to meet the demands of the organization. But since it a free software, there is no support system and so it becomes difficult to make even small changes. Any organization using the free open source software has to take the help of a separate, paid system. It has been found that most free LMS products tend to be more complicated than commercial products – typically they are utilized by more sophisticated users. Commercial software, on the other hand, offers users a support staff, and tends to be much easier to deploy, and use. But it is not free, it costs money. Among commercial LMS products, there are typically two main forms: Installed, or the service-based cloud option.

 

Installed vsSaaS:

 

One of the most important elements of an LMS is the ability to scale up or down quickly and easily. Commercial LMS products are typically sold as either a locally hosted enterprise product, which is hosted on an organization’s own servers, or as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering, which is hosted on the vendor’s servers and is accessible from anywhere (the data is stored in “the cloud”).

 

A locally installed LMS offers users the ability to individualize and customize their LMS. So if an organization already has an IT staff in place that can administer the system, handle support and customization and scalability concerns, a locally hosted LMS can be powerful.

 

Generally, cloud-based SaaS products offer trainers more flexibility when it comes to scaling up or down. Because the product is sold as a “service” (usually monthly), the burden of making systems upgrades, freeing up bandwidth, and providing IT support falls on the vendor, rather than the customer. Because data does not have to be stored on local servers, scalability isn’t a concern; most SaaS LMSs can ramp up or down by thousands of users with ease.

 

Course-creating, or not:

 

Another important aspect to look for in an LMS is whether it comes with the ability to create training content. In some cases, an LMS is simply a tool to distribute course content, which must be created elsewhere.

 

Some LMS systems come with some authoring tools that allow trainers and designers to develop their own unique content. Other LMS vendors offer separate course-creation tools for purchase, while some offer no authoring tools whatsoever, and instead rely on third-party course materials.

 

Integrated:

 

Learning Management Systems have come a long way from the earliest days ofe-learning. As LMS systems become more sophisticated, one of the most exciting developments is the ability for the system to integrate with other applications the organization already uses – whether that’s internal calendars, email, or social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Other LMS products may also integrate closely with systems, which tend to focus on providing support to Human Resource staff functions like recruiting, performance management, and payroll.

 

31.6 Characteristics of LMS

 

A learning management should have the following characteristics:

  • Structure – It should have a proper structure with centralization and organization of all learning-related functions into one system which would enable navigation easy and effective.
  • Security – The learning management system should be able to protect from unauthorized access to courses, student records, and administrative functions.
  • Registration – It should help in finding and selecting or assigning courses, curricula, etc. by learners and their supervisors, which would also include instructor-led training classes.
  • Delivery – It should be able to provide smooth delivery of content, on-demand delivery of learning content and experiences to learners.
  • Interaction – It should facilitate learner interaction not only with the content and communication between learners, instructors, course administrators, but also between communicative content and the LMS.
  • Assessment – It should enable administering assessments and the collection, tracking, and storing of assessment data, with further actions taken based on the results of assessment. Many LMSs include the ability to create assessments as well.
  • Tracking – It should be able to tracklearner data including progress on a predefined set of training goals and requirements, and tracking of courses for usage, especially in relation to required deployment of mandated training.
  • Reporting – It should enable extraction and presentation of information by administrators and stakeholders about learners and courses, including the information that is tracked as described above.
  • Record keeping – It should also have provision for storage and maintenance of data about learners. This includes both demographical information profiling learners and their training progress and accomplishments. This is especially critical when an LMS is deployed as the official system of record for an organization.
  • Facilitating Reuse – It should be able to searchand recombine courses and possibly parts of courses for delivery in different curricula and learning tracks.
  • Personalization – It should enable configuration of LMS functions, interfaces, and features by learners and administrators to match personal preferences, organizational needs, etc.
  • Integration – Exchange of data with external systems to facilitate enterprise-wide tracking of learner performance and transfer of user data and to exploit external content and learning resources should be a characteristic of a LMS.
  • Administration – Above all, it should be able to centrally manage all of the functions which are listed above.

 

31.7 Advantages of LMS

 

Learning management systems are important for mid-sized organizations and above who are looking to systematically manage the learning and development of their staff.Learning Management Systems save companies and instructors valuable time and money by enabling them to easily manage the training of large groups of learners through a web-based environment with anytime, anywhere accessibility. It can be beneficial for different types of learners and different types of learning.

 

Initial Learning – acquiring skills and knowledge for the first time. Continued Learning – extending skills and knowledge in a particular domain. Remedial learning – refreshing skills and knowledge for learners whose knowledge has decayed.

 

Upgrade learning – moving to a higher level of competence in skills and knowledge already acquired.

 

Transfer learning – transfer of skills and knowledge learned in one particular domain or context and transferring them to a different one.

 

Some of the most important benefitsLearning Management Systems are as follows:

  •  Anywhere, Anytime Learning

 

LMS allows companies and trainers to manage training programs by uploading all their training material to a central location. This allows employees and learners to access the learning materials at any time and from anywhere with Internet access.

  • Intelligent Insights With Reports and Statistics

 

With advanced reporting and tracking features, LMS systems are the perfect tool to gauge the learning progress of employees and students. Detailed reports such as course reports, user reports, group reports and compliance reports, as well as learner statistics, allows trainers to easily identify the progress of a large group of employees or individual students.

  • Easily create and conduct online tests

 

Many LMS come bundled with advanced quiz & test making tools, enabling instructors to easily gauge learning levels, automate grading, set up a certification processes, and much more.They can easily add tests, quizzes & surveys to their courses and utilize a number of security controls to prevent cheating in online tests and quizzes.

 

  • Save Time

 

By using the LMS to create and conduct training programs, companies and instructors save hours of time from the traditional method of delivery. Unlike training events conducted in regular classrooms, the LMS training programs can be easily organized and scheduled according to the convenience of employees and students. They can be backed up, imported into empty course shells, shared with other instructors, and reused numerous times.

  • Save Money

 

Companies and instructors save money by using virtual classrooms. They reduce transportation and lodging costs and the time spent away from work traveling. For a relatively low price, LMS environments allow companies and educational institutions alike to save on administrative and paperwork costs by creating online courses, which they can reuse multiple times to traingeographically distant team of employees or learners.

  • Easily Customize and Update Content

 

With all the training materials hosted in a central location, companies and trainers can easily update the existing content or add new contentin a very short period of time. LMS allow instant access for adding new material to keep the training program relevant. Learners will be able to see the updated material immediately, giving the course a fresh new look.

 

  • Easy Schedule Training For A Mobile Workforce

 

LMS allow companies to easily schedule training for their staff on multiple shift and lower their operating costs. Telecommuting employees can take the training from anywhere at times that best meets their needs. This flexibility also helps companies to attract more employees and increases the productivity of their existing employees. Another benefit is being able to use content that learners are most receptive to, such as interactive videos that are hard to share in an offline classroom. Additionally, the LMS-hosted communication tools help a mobile workforce communicate and collaborate effectively with each other.

 

  • Personalized and Interactive Learning

 

LMS allow instructors to create interactive e-courses by using videos, images, audio and text, which serve as excellent learning aids. Learners can also communicate with their trainers and peers through online discussion forums, making learning much more interactive, engaging and personalized for learners.

 

  • Make Money Online

 

Few LMSallow instructors to make money online by selling their courses with an automated payment process. Learners can easily register and pay online for courses they want to take. As their business grows, instructors also have the option to design their own billing system and use the LMS only for delivery of those courses – inside their website and under their brand.

  • Manage and track staff training with an LMS

 

Training administration can be time-consuming and difficult, particularly in medium to large organizations with many staff working in different roles across a variety of physical locations. The right learning management system (LMS) can streamline this administrative effort, making it easy to ensure each staff member receives the appropriate training as well as helping manage the classrooms, instructors, equipment and other resources needed to deliver the courses.

 

  • Consolidate all training information into one system

 

There are significant benefits to having all the training information in a single, consolidated system. At a glance the status of company-wide training programs can be reviewed and recorded, staff who have completed certain qualifications can be identified, and much more. Rather than having to search through several different systems and paper files to find what you need, the right LMS puts all the training information in one place.

 

Limitations of LMS

  • Cost – Expensive to create. Depending on the needs of the company, it can be modified or customized but the initial cost is more.
  • The amount of time required toinstall necessary hardware, software, course and database is huge.
  • It is a technology based application and hence will need an expert to handle the everyday working. It will need for a LMS Administrator.

 

31. 8     Applications of LMSs

 

Since we have seen the different advantages of LMS in the current world of technology and e-technology, it can be clearly understood that LMS can be applied in all fields of business, healthcare, education, government, finance, etc.

 

Some of the important applications are:

 

As an Administrative tool -The LMS enables administrators to manage user registrations and profiles, define roles, set curricula, chart certification paths, assign tutors, author courses, manage content, and administer internal budgets, user payments, and chargebacks. Administrators can have complete access to the training database, enabling them to create standard and customized reports on individual and group performance.

 

For Integration with HR – as is clear from the different features of LMS, it can become an integrated HR system wherein a human resources employee can enter a new hire’s information into the HR system, and the employee is automatically signed up for training tailored to his or her role within the company.

 

For Content access – Since it involves the different media in which content can be delivered like CD-Rom, online, etc., and different methods of delivering content, like instructor-paced or self-paced or blended, it can be applied in any industry or in the field of education. It can be used in different languages and hence knows no boundary in its application.

 

For Content development – LMS enables content development, so depending on the kind of industry it is being used in, it helps in authoring,maintaining, and storing the learning content.

 

For Skills management – Skill assessment and management capabilities revolvearound learners assessing their competency gaps. Since LMSs allow skills assessments from multiple sources, including peer reviews and 360-feedback tools, managers are able to determine whether results are weighted, averaged, orcompared to determine a skill gap. Businesses can also use this feature tosearch their employee base for specialized skills.

 

For Assessment capabilities – LMSs are equipped with assessment features which will enable the user to evaluate, test and assign and build a programme that becomes more useful to the company using it.

 

31.10 Let us sum up

 

As we have seen from the above discussion,e-learning has become the most recent trend in technology-enhanced education. Learning programme and materials are hosted and available online, allowing students to learn, interact and even earn or obtain degreesin the comfort of their own homes.These have given rise to Learning Management Systems. A LMS is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of e-learning education courses or training programs.

 

A learning management system (LMS) is an online system that manages the delivery of self-paced, e-learning courses. These courses can be taken entirely online using components such as journals, discussion boards, chats, choices, assignment, and quizzes. The LMS provides online reports for each course for the student and teacher. It can also be used as a supplement for face-to-face trainings.

 

LMS provides many features or components which helps in maximum utilization of the system. It should be robust enough to serve the needs of thousands of learners, administrators, content builders, and instructors simultaneously. The infrastructure should be able to expand to meet future growth. The access, delivery and presentation of material must be easy-to-use. The LMS must be able to selectively limit and control access to online content and resources. It also requires a place to connect with other learners with discussion boards or chats and at the same time ensure dialogue with the instructor.

 

The implementation of a learning management system is an important tool for online learning. Along with online courses, many schools use their LMS to enroll students in classroom-based events, manage face-to-face training, and generate reports on student’s progress.

 

With its various uses advantages, LMSs can be applied in any field of life, be it finance, health industry, education or the government.

 

you can view video on Learning Management Systems

References

  • google.com
  • wikepedia.com
  • Encyclopedia of Distance Learning,Rogers P, Berg, G, Boettcher J, Howard,C, Justice L, Schenk, K. 2nd Edition, Volume III, Information Science Reference.
  • Choosing a Learning Management System ADL Instructional Design Team http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
  • A field Guide to LearningManagementSystems, By Ryann K. Ellis, Editor, Learning Circuit, 2009 
  • Learning Management System, Student Guide, June 30, 2006, JICS 6.4