Learning Management System (LMS)
A learning management system (LMS for short) is a software application that is used to administer, track, report, and deliver training.
In simple terms, an LMS allows you to create, deliver and report on training courses and programs. There are hundreds of LMSs to choose from, each offering different features and capabilities. And with so many options, businesses can find the process of selecting an LMS that will meet their specific needs a real challenge.
Top LMS features
There are many LMS options on the market and each has a different feature set. There are some features that are deemed to be ‘standard’ and will give you a good basis for understanding what an LMS is. The most basic use of an LMS is for someone to create training programs, enrol learners and then report on the completion of training.
When looking for a new LMS, we suggest you focus on answering two core questions:
- Does it create a great user experience for learners and admins?
- Does it have the features required to deliver effective training?
Depending on your organization’s specific needs, the LMS features you require will vary. To help you with your search, we’ve at Next-Tier compiled a list of the best LMS features that are most wanted and used by organizations today.
Course management
The main function of an LMS should be that you can easily deliver course content to your learners, so it’s essential to get an LMS that makes course creation as simple and straightforward as possible.
A great LMS lets you drag, drop, and arrange content into place, making it easy to create courses. On top of this, you need to be able to use multiple content formats; PDFs, slides, videos, audio, and even live training sessions.
Learning Portals
As your organization grows, you’ll inevitably have more learners and audiences to train, and more often than not, different departments will have separate learning goals and needs. For this, you’ll need a multi-tenant LMS, one that will allow you to create Learning Portals for each of your audiences.
Branding
An LMS is an extension of your business, and for learners, it’s the center of their training programs. So, having a consistent theme and design will help create a seamless user experience and enhance learner engagement. Think about it, your brand and your LMS is a reflection of you, so make sure it’s an accurate representation. If the user interface is slow and outdated, what will that say about your company? Having your own consistent visual identity will make it recognizably yours, and ideally, an environment they know and trust.
Not all LMSs are uniform, some might let you simply change a logo while others are much more customizable. For example, with LearnUpon, you can make the LMS your own by changing logos, colors, adding animated banners to your dashboard, and more.
Learner experience
A good LMS makes it easy to access training and is responsive on any device. So whether a learner is in the office or commuting to work, they need to be able to access and complete training anywhere, at any time, on any device.
Exams
Exams are a great feature to test learners on their knowledge and measure progress. From multiple choice to true or false and more, you’ll be able to experiment with different question types to test your learners. An LMS exam feature should also allow you to automate exams so that learners know how they performed with auto-corrected exams, which are great for self-reflection.
Reporting
Reporting is one of the most valuable LMS features you’ll ever use. Without it, how can you know the impact your training is having?
LMS reports should showcase data on learner progression, exam results and so on. It’s also helpful to be able to export or schedule reports so they’re sent straight to your inbox.