Learning management system (LMS) is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking , delivering and reporting of the educational courses or a training programs.
It provides an instructor with a way to create and deliver content, monitor student participation and access student performance.
History of LMS
- 1924 – First teaching machine
- 1929 – Problem cylinder
- 1956 -Adaptive teaching system
- 1960 – University of Chicago adopted PLATO (Program logic for automatic teaching objective
- 1969 – Launch of ARPANET
- 1982 -TCP/IP Introduced
- 1990 – Soft-arc Launches LMS first Arc
- 1997 -Launch of first interactive learning network
- 2002 – MOODLE released
- 2012 – LMS Hosted in Cloud
Who’s uses LMS
- Regulated industries ( e.g financial services ) for compliance training
- Educational institutions to enhance and support classroom teaching and offering courses to a large proportion of learner across the globe.
Types of Learning Management System
There are a couple of broad types of Learning Management Systems for you to choose from. To help you decide which is for you here’s an explanation of them:
Open source versus Commercial
Open source LMSs are ‘free’ and commercial ones incur a cost. The old phrase “there is no such thing as a free lunch” comes to mind here. Open source LMSs require a lot of set up, hosting, maintenance and upgrades to keep afloat. This can actually prove to be more expensive than a subscription or license to a commercial LMS for your organization.
Installation versus Cloud-based
The choice here is whether to install a Learning Management system on your organization’s hardware or to use a cloud-based service. Some organizations go the route of a full installation due to their network limitations. Most companies opt to use cloud-based, software as a service (SaaS) to avoid all of the work, upkeep and additional cost.
A Deeper Look at Cloud LMS options
The best LMS for your business depends on your circumstances. One of the major choices used to be whether to choose an installed LMS or a cloud-based one. In recent years cloud-based LMSs have become the popular choice. The ability to access your LMS in a browser anywhere, at any time is more convenient. It maps better to your learners’ workstyle too
What are the benefits of an LMS
An LMS can be a valuable tool if your organization has training needs. Not only can it help your learners, it can also significantly benefit you and your organization as a whole.
Saves time
- Compared with traditional training (face-to-face sessions), a system can optimize your training process.
- With traditional training, your learners have to take time out of their day, miss work, travel – it’s inefficient.
- Implementing an LMS fixes this. Learners can log in to your platform to complete courses wherever they are. Whether it’s on the bus to work, during a coffee break or setting aside half an hour at their desk, there are significant time savings for them and for you.
Cost reduction
- Traditional learning not only wastes time, it wastes money too. Instructors, training days, travel costs, training materials, location hiring – the list goes on and it adds up. Getting a system cuts these costs down.
- By creating economies of scale you reduce costs even further. Your training is all online meaning your learners can train at any time. It’s a valuable bonus that really impacts your bottom line.
