Learning management system software has become a huge logistical player in corporate eLearning. Entire HR departments are built with teams intended to efficiently onboard and train new employees. Customer service teams and sales teams use learning software to manage clients and stay up to date on best practises. The internet has changed the learning experience. It’s become faster, with fewer resources used up. With that said, without using the right software, learning administrators can get caught up in the workings of the software as opposed to the learning abilities of staff. Learning management system software can be very complex, but because software is always improving, the best LMS software now eliminates that complexity so that teachers can teach and learners can learn.
The evolution of online learning management systems
An online LMS has evolved employee training, and continues to develop year over year. Because of this, the online learning management system has become mostly software-as-a-service, or SaaS. LMS vendors that house, maintain, and develop a learning software platform usually do so for a contracted fee. This tends to be a big weight relief from the shoulders of businesses because they need to focus on training, not how to implement or fix the system software in use.
Learning management system features used to be very limited compared to what is provided today. There was no such thing as a web-based learning management learning system. Learning software was hard-wired to computers, meaning in order to access it, the programme had to be installed onto each computer it was used on. Even further, content had to be created outside of the learning management system, then processed through a model called SCORM. LMS could then comprehend content.
So, you can imagine how tedious of a process this was and how many people it took to maintain a system. There had to be content created, server space, and someone (or a team) to maintain it all. Because creating and programming content was so time-consuming, recycled training content became repetitive and outdated. Luckily, those days are over. Now, learning management system vendors tend to offer, within their software packaging, free LMS hosting and the essential learning management tools you need to store, deliver, and track great employee training materials.
At the end of the day, online learning software has enabled learners to learn in their best environment and trainers to reinforce that information through performance. Even further, because learning software has become so simple, anyone can contribute to a joint knowledge online learning management system. By having a collection of resources and lessons for joint knowledge online, help desk services become a thing of the past! The best LMS software available is a software that makes the tasks in learning simple, so that the actual learning retention of employees remains a top priority.
We’re going to talk about three types of online learning management systems: web-based, SCORM-compliant, open-source learning management systems. These three systems aren’t necessarily separate entities but have outstanding factors that differentiate one from others.
Web-based learning management systems
This is exactly what it seems. Instead of having to hardwire the LMS software to each computer, you can access the software from any computer. The software takes the form of a platform LMS. Learning management system information is stored on the platform for users to simply log in with credentials to access. A hosted learning management system means that the company you chose for your LMS software will host the LMS on their servers. Today, most LMSs are web-based, but the best ones tend to be licenced as well, i.e., you don’t have to pay to house your own server space or the team to maintain it, the software is always being improved for its users, and there’s a customer experience team ready to answer any questions.
SCORM learning management systems
SCORM stands for Sharable Content Reference Model. When LMSs were created, content needed a format that would comply with the LMS, thus, SCORM came into existence. Now that LMSs have been modernised and are always improving with progressing technology, SCORM isn’t really necessary anymore. Companies that still use SCORM LMS software likely don’t know of a better learning management system or feel that they’re in too deep to change. The use of a SCORM LMS today is likely by older companies that haven’t made the switch to a more modern LMS.
A SCORM-compliant LMS has three parts: the content, the SCORM, and the LMS. Content created outside the LMS is to be SCORM-compliant so that the LMS can read it. SCORM is a technical standard that helps developers write the code so that content and LMS become cohesive.
Open-source learning management systems
An open-source LMS can be web-based and SCORM-compliant and even free. However, open-source means that the framework of the software is given to you, a lot of the time for free, but then you have to obtain and manage the assets to support it. That is, you’d have to host it yourself and hire a team of developers to customise, maintain, and develop the LMS. This becomes costly, and if you’re part of a growing business, there’s a likelihood that you don’t have time to take on the implementation of a large system like this.
With an open-source training software, you’re likely to run into some usability issues. Many functions feel restrictive and there’s a common lack of features compared to supported, web-based software. Essentially, you’re creating the online course software. Open source LMSs are best to customise and implement with time on your side. You don’t want your learners to feel led through something clunky. They won’t take the process seriously, and in turn, they won’t learn.
In a learning management system, an open-source framework is not the best choice when immediacy is a deciding factor. In turn, if it’s a free open source LMS, you could end up spending quite a lot of money as your business grows. Altering the software and hiring the team to maintain and handle customer support will easily put you in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
