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What is an LMS and How Can You Use It
A learning management system is a software that is utilized in administering and implementing virtual learning programs. An LMS acts as a centralized learning platform that serves as the hub of any teaching ecosystem. Learning management systems can be utilized in hosting and organizing learning content, evaluating your learners’ performance, and delivering learning content to students. Once students are given a password and login, they can have access to the learning management system from any location so long as there is an internet connection.
The multi-device learning capability and virtual learning community provided by a learning management system can assist in making learning more effective, easy administration of assessments, and more straightforward revision. When utilized well, a learning management system can assist in improving the success of learners, increasing the retention of learners, and encouraging high enrollment numbers.
Advantages of a Learning Management System
Learning management systems are the gold standard for creating extraordinary online learning experiences for a reason. LMS provides numerous advantages that other online learning choices do not. Here are some of the top benefits of LMSs;
Ease of Utilization
Students need greater user experience; hence they focus on learning instead of navigating a clunky interface. From dashboards and configurable pages to searchable course catalogs, online learning has never been effective without a learning management system. Top learning management systems feature multilingual aid; hence international schools can meet the learning needs of their international students in their language of choice.
Improved Efficiency
A learning management system lowers the overhead involved in the implementation of online learning courses in your school with a suite of strong education automation features. You can set regulations to register students, control access to programs, and define permissions; hence administrators will not have to handle these responsibilities manually, and students will always know what they are supposed to do next.
Supports Numerous Learning Styles
Every student learns in a different way, and learning management systems can accommodate everything from face-to-face learning to defined education paths that consist of different related courses. Discussion groups and group assignments may be added to learners who do better in social learning settings.
Game-Changing Insights
Learning management systems feature reporting capabilities that offer users access to crucial data such as where students failed to finish assignments, course evaluations, and the number of courses done. A learning management system enables you to schedule reports for frequent delivery and generate them on a day-to-day basis.
Who is an LMS Right For?
We believe that training providers, universities, colleges, and schools have a lot to acquire from the best learning management system, whether they intend to support blended education, online courses, or flipped classroom learning methodology.
If your learning institution is searching for a proven way of improving systems, enhance learner engagement, and lower instructor administration time, then an LMS is likely to be advantageous.
How Can a Learning Management System Make the Learning Process More Effective?
Learning management systems work by offering an online learning environment for learners to access course materials, communicate with their instructors, discuss with other students, and evaluate their progress.
Most learning management systems such as Voluxion have comprehensive learner tracking tools. These are crucial since they enable administrative staff and instructors to monitor the progress of students closely.
The data collected and presented by a learning management system makes a great difference to instruction quality since instructors can recognize at a glance which learners require extra help, which learners would benefit from hard learning materials, and which require to be revisited prior to the end of the online learning program.
Indeed, the advantages of a learning management system don’t stop here. There are numerous innovative and creative ways of utilizing an LMS.
What are Some of the Creative Ways of Using an LMS?
1. Invite learners to participate in the learning and teaching process
It is important to motivate learners to participate in planning for their studies. This is an effective method for less engaged learners since inviting them to assist in shaping their lessons can motivate them to see things differently. Multi-device learning with learning management systems makes it easy for learners to be more engaged in this sense.
2. Manage Differentiated Learning Materials
It is important to note that learners learn at different paces. This makes teaching students very tricky, particularly with a brick-and-mortar classroom setting. Nevertheless, a learning management system can transform this.
Whether the learning is happening online or in class, an LMS can easily host differentiated instruction for learners at various levels. Also, it enables learners to learn at their own pace, whether in a traditional classroom or online learning from the comfort of their homes.
3. Ensure Collaboration in Online Sessions
It is important for learners to communicate with teachers frequently. Students usually have concerns or questions which they do not feel bringing up during lesson time, whether the class is delivered online or in person.
A learning management system is crucial in facilitating communication. Teachers can use LMSs to boost online tutoring where learners can clear myths, go over some topics, and get answers to questions.
4. Integrate Education Games into the Curriculum
Studies are more effective when learners have fun while they learn. Multi-device learning makes it easy to inject fun into studying periods. A learning management system can assist you in hosting revision games that test knowledge and ultimately enhancing the understanding of learners.
5. Schedule Frequent Quizzes
The major advantage of utilizing an LMS is that it can evaluate the performance of learners on behalf of teachers. Without tasks of collecting, marking, and returning test papers, there is no reason for instructors not to offer more assessments.
Frequent quizzes can assist learners in practicing their studies and enabling educators to track their progress and recognize areas that require improvement.
What Makes Choosing The Best LMS Difficult?
Here are a few weaknesses that make choosing the best LMS difficult:
Security
As much as there are several features incorporated into LMS applications, they may not be helpful if there is no adequate security. For instance, you may experience a breach of your learning institution’s data if an individual unintentionally or intentionally uploads malware into the system. That is why it is best to hire a good IT team that will be responsible for scanning all files within the system before uploading them.
Learning Schedule
Training for students must have a clear schedule so everyone knows what to expect in subsequent sessions. It helps students follow through with their training progress and know how long it will take for them to go back to work on their projects. While some LMS applications allow you to set up different learning tracks, others do not which makes it harder to hold on to your schedule.
Easy Navigation
A good LMS application allows users easy access from one page or module into another without having to back out of the current course or section was just taken by the learner. There should also be an option that allows learners to take a quiz while they are still on the previous module’s page instead of going back to the previous menu for them to take the quiz. Another option is for learners to be able to forward their current module or course along with their progress into other modules or courses without going back and forth between those menus.
Training Videos
If your institution has a policy of using videos during training, it will be best if you choose an LMS application that allows users to watch and share video files within your system. You may also learn how much time you must allot on your training schedule which gives room for further planning accordingly. There may be instances where you want a user to access a specific file that only you have access to but do not want people to know about its existence. To avoid this from happening, it’s best that all documents related to the project or company be stored in a secure server with password-protected access. There are some LMS applications that allow users to store and share files within your system but not all of them do so.
You may also learn how much time you must allot on your training schedule which gives room for further planning accordingly. There may be instances where you want a user to access a specific file that only you have access to but do not want people to know about its existence. To avoid this from happening, it’s best that all documents related to the project or company be stored in a secure server with password-protected access. There are some LMS applications that allow users to store and share files within your system but not all of them do so.
Notifications and Reminders
A good application will notify users of the said time and date when they are due to take part in a course or project. It is also helpful when an LMS alerts learners about updates, changes, or additions made within your organization. Most applications do not offer these features which can lead to confusion among learners as well as trainers.
Email Notifications
This feature allows you to send emails through the system that contain instructional content for your learners. Some applications allow you only to send message notifications while others provide additional features such as scheduling lessons, sending reminders, and taking attendance of participants during their training sessions.
In order for you to make sure all security measures are taken care of every time an employee uploads his/her files, it is best to use an LMS with a secure server. Although some applications can encrypt uploaded files, there are some that have only one layer of protection which may not be enough when dealing with sensitive information.
Ease of Use
You will also have to consider how easy or difficult it is for you and your employees to navigate through the LMS. Some applications are not user friendly which can lead to low productivity and a frustrated workforce. Your goal with an LMS is to be able to train your students in a shorter period of time without having to worry about the system’s functionality.
Training Support
It has been proven that one of the reasons why many learning institutions today opt for learning software programs such as learning management systems is because they provide support during lessons. In fact, some applications even offer online chat options so learners can easily get the answers they need from their trainers at any given time.
Searchable Content
Choose an LMS application that allows you to search for the information you need in just a few clicks. Some applications even group links from other files and resources together which can be accessed immediately when needed.
If there are certain courses that have been completed by users, they should also be able to access them through your LMS application. Most system administrators will allow users to download their certificates or annexes related to their training content. When doing so, make sure these documents contain vital information such as dates of attendance, course titles and descriptions. Although some applications allow instant messaging during lessons, it is best that you save all discussions via email instead so learners can retrieve these messages at a later date if necessary. Also look for an LMS application that has a mobile version so you can access your lessons through any device with Internet connection. Although some open-source applications that are available online may not have this feature, there are many others that do.