A Learning Management System (LMS) can be just as important to course Administrators and Trainers as the content is to the learner. An LMS is usually a website-based system for Course Administrators and Trainers to manage users, performance, and content. It is often said that content is a key component, but in reality, there are many other considerations that need to be turned in sync for a learning solution to function for the benefit of all parties. An LMS focuses on education and training. The navigation directs a learner to available learning modules and it groups those modules into a curriculum. User management is structured for learners: who they are, their level of course/lesson access, their assessment scores, and number of times the course has been accessed. There are many more aspects to the features, benefits, and functionality of an LMS that we will cover in future posts, but let’s take a look at two common questions we receive.

Before moving forward, we recommend sitting down with your team and drawing out what your training needs are. Pretend you are a learner, pretend you are the administrator, and discuss how you plan to manage courses and users. You might not have all the answers, but it will certainly provide a direction and a warehouse full of questions.

Is the LMS Off-the-Shelf?
A commercial off-the-shelf LMS can be used instead of a custom built LMS software platform. These programs can be installed on your server and accessed through a URL (www.MyLearningWebsite.edu). While we have created-custom based learning management systems, off-the-shelf LMS software can usually handle the needs of the Administrators and Training Managers. Off-the-shelf software tends to be well tested, provides usual updates and fixes, and some packages have platforms that let other developers develop custom additional apps.

Off-the-shelf software can require some customization to adjust the look and navigation. A Javascript and CSS Developer, and a Graphics Designer are helpful in adjusting the look and feel of the website to incorporate branding styles. Navigation is often tweaked to better lead the learner through content the way the Training Manager or Director prefers. Custom reports are also made to visualize analytical data in ways unique to your company.

There are many types of learning management systems available. Some are free and some charge for installation, customization, or number of users. An LMS like Docebo charges based on the number of users. It provides a lot of customization within its administration panel and has a very clean user interface, or look and feel, right out of the box. Moodle is a free installable LMS. Moodle can be a great LMS once configured and branded. It takes more effort to adjust to liking, but doesn’t have per user fees like some other platforms.

The best part about an off-the-shelf solution is that many LMS’ provide demos of their software and the Internet is littered with good reviews.

Is it SCORM Compliant?
SCORM is a collection of standards and specifications which, when followed, allow a learning module to be “plugged in” to an LMS. So, when we talk about SCORM, we are really talking about the programming that makes the module work. SCORM “tells” the LMS things such as “Hey LMS, the learning module just started” and “Hey LMS, the assessment was just completed and the learner got a 83%”. When both the LMS and learning module are SCORM compliant it means the LMS understands the data the module is sending and the module understands the data the LMS is sending. What is fantastic about this is that if an off-the-shelf learning module development program such as Adobe Captivate, Articulate Presenter, Storyline, or Lectora are used, because they are SCORM compliant. The final learning module is usually a single ZIP file that can be uploaded to an LMS. No mess! Because of the compliance, when a learner users the new course, the LMS will understand that the module has been started, it can bookmark where they left the course if they leave and come back, and the assessment scores will be understood by the LMS as well. While we do use Adobe Captivate, Articulate Presenter, Storyline, and Lectora, custom based HTML/HTML5, or Flash-based modules can also be developed using SCORM. So with a SCORM compliant LMS you will know that developers everywhere will be able to create learning modules for you that just work, without the headaches. SCORM can handle quite a bit more than is discussed here. Check out more about SCORM here.

SCORM isn’t the only compliance around. AICC is still used and can be output by most the software listed above. Tin Can API is new and making the rounds.

Our next LMS article will cover more questions asked when choosing an LMS.