The past couple of years have turbo-charged change in the education sector, one that was already experiencing significant technological realignment. Online training in general, and Learning Management Systems (LMS) in particular, have been at the forefront of that transformation.
We know you want to be a part of that transformation and get the most from an LMS, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this article. You know what they can do for you (put simply, help deliver training materials and organise skills development), and you know that a successful learning environment only happens when you get the most out of your LMS Australia.
Many software platforms are feature rich yet organisations often don’t need or don’t use a lot of what they can offer. It’s like your phone – packed full of apps that you seldom use. To get the most from your LMS, you need to unlock its full potential. These are some of the features an LMS should have.
Course Creation
Surprisingly, creation modules do not come as standard in all LMS software. Some systems rely on you importing courses that have been created with external software, which means they have to be compatible. A much sleeker solution is choosing an LMS that has that functionality built in – you’ll streamline course creation and avoid any issues between mismatched platforms.
Offline Teaching
It may be obvious, but not all students follow the same curve. Asynchronous learning lets pupils complete course work at their own pace. An LMS that combines videos, online resources, messaging, and question/answer forums where students can engage with the material at a speed that suits them, helps promote buy-in and improve results. Courses that offer self-learning modules using online resources gives students control over their study time, their course and improves engagement.
Mobile Learning
An LMS that features mobile capabilities, including responsive design or native mobile apps, lets you enable students to participate in courses from any location using whatever device they own. No longer are they tied to a desktop, and they can take their studies with them wherever they go. This is especially helpful for certifications that require after hours learning, or for distributed teams where learning can occur between calls or visits, or even in different time zones.
Gamification
We all need a little light relief from time to time, and learning is no different. Incentivising the process with competitive game features helps keep your students tuned in. These features help keep the courses more engaging which in turn increases compliance and completion.
Performance Tracking
Tracking is one of the most important tools an LMS can offer. Being able to chart performance, skills, certification, progress and completion gives you a baseline to work from, and a variety of ways to then track the progress of both your tutors and your students. You can measure the success of your course, offer real-time assistance, and enhance or adapt as required. Data like this also reveals the return on your investment.
These are some of the more important features that will help you get the most from a learning management system. Take the time to unlock its full potential because when you do, everyone benefits.
