Learning management system

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Learning Management System (or LMS)is a term used to describe software tools designed to manage userlearning interventions. LMSs go far beyond conventional trainingrecords management and reporting. The value-add for LMSs is theextensive range of complementary functionality they offer. Learnerself-service (e.g. self-registration on instructor-led training),training workflow (e.g. user notification, manager approval, waitlistmanagement), the provision of on-line learning (e.g. Computer-Based Training, read & understand), on-line assessment, management of continuous professional education (CPE), collaborative learning(e.g. application sharing, discussion threads), and training resourcemanagement (e.g. instructors, facilities, equipment), are some of theadditional dimensions to leading Learning Management Systems.

Most LMSs are web-based to facilitate "anytime, any place, any pace"access to learning content and administration. LMSs are favoured byregulated industries (e.g. financial services and biopharma) wherecompliance training is essential.

Leading LMS providers seek to include integrated "performancemanagement systems," which encompass such functionality as performancemanagement (i.e. period-based appraisals), competency management,skills-gap analysis, succession planning, and multi-rater assessments(360 degree reviews).

For the commercial market, the development path for Learning andPerformance Management Systems (LPMS) appears to be towards theinclusion of recruitment and reward functionality. With theseenhancements in place, the complete lifecycle of learner development,from recruitment to retirement, will be covered.

LMSs are based on a variety of development platforms, from Java EE based architectures to Microsoft .NET, and usually employ the use of a robust databaseback-end. While most systems are commercially developed and frequentlyhave non-free software licences or restrict access to their sourcecode, free and open-sourcemodels do exist. Other than the most simple, basic functionality, LMSscater to, and focus on, different educational, administrative, anddeployment requirements.

Open source and Web-based LMS software solutions are quickly growing in the education and business world.

Contents

• 1 Learning management systems vs. learning content management systems (LCMS)
• 2 Characteristics
• 3 Learning Management Industry
• 4 LMS platforms
  • 4.1 Open source
  • 4.2 Commercial
• 5 See also
• 6 External links

[edit] Learning management systems vs. learning content management systems (LCMS)

In addition to managing the administrative functions of onlinelearning, some systems also provide tools to deliver and manageinstructor-led synchronous and asynchronous online training based on learning object methodology. These systems are called Learning content management systems or LCMSs. An LCMS provides tools for authoring and re-using or re-purposing content (mutated learning objects) MLOas well as virtual spaces for learner interaction (such as discussionforums and live chat rooms). Despite this distinction, the terms LMS isoften used to refer to both an LMS and an LCMS, although the LCMS is afurther development of the LMS. Due to this conformity issue, theacronym Clcims (Computer Learning Content Information Management System) is now widely used to create a uniform phonetic way of referencing any learning system software based on advanced learning technology methodology.

In essence, an LMS is a high-level, strategic solution for planning,delivering, and managing most learning events within an organization,including online, virtual classroom, and instructor-led courses. Theprimary solution is replacing isolated and fragmented learning programswith a systematic means of assessing and raising competency andperformance levels throughout a learning enterprise. For example, anLMS can simplify global certification efforts, enable entities to alignlearning initiatives with strategic goals, and provide a viable meansof enterprise-level skills management. The focus of an LMS is to managelearners, keeping track of their progress and performance across alltypes of training activities. It performs heavy-duty administrativetasks, such as reporting to instructors, HR and other ERP systems butisn’t generally used to create course content.

In contrast, the focus of an LCMS is on learning content. It givesauthors, instructional designers, and subject matter experts the meansto create and re-use e-learning content more efficiently. The primarybusiness problem an LCMS solves is to create just enough content justin time to meet the needs of individual learners or groups of learners.Rather than developing entire courses and adapting them to multipleaudiences, instructional designers create reusable content chunks or learning objectsand make them available to course developers and content expertsthroughout the organization. This eliminates duplicate developmentefforts and allows for the rapid assembly of customized content.

[edit] Characteristics

As previously mentioned, LMSs can cater to different educational,administrative, and deployment requirements. While an LMS for corporatelearning, for example, may share many characteristics with an LMS, or Virtual learning environment, used by educational institutions, they each meet unique needs. The Virtual learning environmentused by universities and colleges allow instructors to manage theircourses and exchange information with students for a course that inmost cases will last several weeks and will meet several times duringthose weeks. In the corporate setting a course may be much shorter,completed in single instructor-led or online session.

The characteristics shared by both types of LMSs include:

• Manage users, roles, courses, instructors, and facilities and generate reports
• Course calendar
• Learner messaging and notifications
• Assessment/testing capable of handling student pre/post testing
• Display scores and transcripts
• Grading of coursework and roster processing, including waitlisting
• Web-based or blended course delivery

Characteristics more specific to corporate learning, which sometimes includes franchisees or other business partners, include:

• Autoenrollment (enrolling learners in courses when required according to predefined criteria, such as job title or work location)
• Manager enrollment and approval
• Boolean definitions for prerequisites or equivalencies
• Integration with performance tracking and management systems
• Planning tools to identify skill gaps at departmental and individual level
• Curriculum, required and elective training requirements at an individual and organizational level
• Grouping learners according to demographic units (geographic region, product line, business size, etc.)
• Assign corporate and partner employees to more than one job title at more than one demographic unit

[edit] Learning Management Industry

In the relatively new LMS market, commercial vendors for corporateand education applications range from new entrants to those thatentered the market in the nineties. In addition to commercial packages,many open source solutions are available.

In 2005, LMSs represented a fragmented $500 million market (CLO magazine[1]).The six largest LMS product companies constitute approximately 43% ofthe market. In addition to the remaining smaller LMS product vendors,training outsourcing firms, enterprise resource planning vendors, andconsulting firms all compete for part of the learning management market.

LMS buyers generally report poor satisfaction based on surveyresults from the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)[2] and the eLearningGuild [3].The ASTD respondents were very unsatisfied with an LMS purchase doubledand those that were very satisfied decreased by 25%. The number thatwere very satisfied or satisfied edged over 50%. (About 30% weresomewhat satisfied.) Nearly one quarter of respondents intended topurchase a new LMS or outsource their LMS functionality over the next12 months. eLearningGuild respondents report significant barriersincluding cost, IT support, integration, and customization. They alsoreport significant effort [4]to implement with a median of 23 months being reported fromrequirements gathering to implementation for corporations with morethan 2,000 employees.

Channel learningis underserved. For many buyers channel learning is not their numberone priority, according to a survey by TrainingOutsourcing.com[5].Often there is a disconnect when the HR department oversees trainingand development initiatives, where the focus is consolidating LMSsystems inside traditional corporate boundaries. Software technologycompanies are at the front end of this curve, placing higher priorityon channel training.

Most buyers of LMSs utilize an authoring tool to create theirelearning content, which is then hosted on an LMS. Buyers, however,must choose an authoring tool that seamlessly integrates with their LMSin order for their content to be hosted. There are authoring tools onthe market, such as Lectora,which meet AICC and SCORM standards and therefore content created intools such as these can be hosted on an AICC or SCORM certified LMS.

[edit] LMS platforms

Below is a list of some of the LMS platforms that are available.

[edit] Open source

• ATutor - Open Source Web-based Learning Content Management System
• Claroline - Claroline is a free LMS
• Dokeos - elearning and course management web application
• eFront - Open Source Learning Management System
• Fle3
• ILIAS - Open Source Learning Management System
• KEWL.nextgen
• LON-CAPA - Open Source Learning Management System with Linked Domains
• Moodle - Open Source Course Management System
• OLAT - Open Source Learning Management System
• Sakai Project - Collaboration and Learning Environment