Learning Management System Basics

A Learning Management System (LMS) can provide tremendous

benefits both for the training department and for the organization in
general. There are numerous choices for LMS providers, as well as
functionalities, so an LMS implementation project can become quite
confusing. Just what are the LMS basics and how can a system help
your organization?
To start with, let's discuss what an LMS really is. In basic terms, the LMS
is a system that helps you deliver and manage training in numerous
formats. One of the first misconceptions about an LMS is that it is used
solely for the delivery of online courses. While this is an important
component, it is not the only reason to use an LMS. The LMS consists of
a few separate parts. First, the management system consists of the
tracking and reporting of the organization and individual learning
activities. Second, the content authoring system (or LCMS) allows the
training department to create and or upload its own in-house or
purchased learning content and courses, and the third part is the content
and courses themselves.

Why would an organization need an LMS? The tracking feature of most

LMS systems is worthwhile in itself. Individuals, their managers, and
organizational management can track who has completed what courses
for advancement, certifications, compliance, and even human resources
concerns. Plus, the record, if backed up properly, will always exist . The
Learning Management System content delivery system can deliver
training to diverse populations in any Inter- or Intranet accessible
location and can even serve as a knowledge repository for policies,
procedures, and quick reference guides. The LMS can serve as an
"educational counselor" for individual associates, keeping track of their
career path and showing them what courses they need to complete in
order to move to the next career level.
Along those lines, managers can coach employee development using
the information from the LMS. For example, if an employee wants to
advance or has specific issues in specific subject areas, the manager
can locate appropriate training courses or content and put them in the
employee's learning plan. The manager can also pull transcripts to make
sure that learning has been a part of the employee's development,
especially when performance evaluation time arrives. The easiest
functions for employees include looking up classroom courses,
registering for them, and setting reminders to attend.

Training content is also not limited to employees. Some organizations

use their LMS to deliver content to multiple locations as well as partners,
clients, and vendors. Access to content is dependent on a pre-assigned
security level, so keeping people in the correct subject areas is relatively
simple.

There are some potential opportunities to be found with an LMS. Some

"vanilla" systems may require extensive customization to suit each
organization. When choosing an LMS, it is absolutely necessary to
analyze your organization's business and determine what functions you
really need. Customizations can become quite expensive. In addition,
choosing a course library is also a potential opportunity. Along with
course libraries comes the ability to create or upload in-house content.
Be sure to look at the options for this before selecting a system. This
tracking also makes it easy to cover compliance related bases or to
prove that employees received a certain type of training. The self-
management features of the LMS, such as career paths and transcripts,
can create upward mobility for the employee population as well as higher
retention for the organization. Many Learning Management System
providers offer a "testing engine" which allows for all testing to occur
online, whether the employee attended class online or in a classroom.
And some LMS providers even offer the ability for online course
participants to collaborate virtually, another great way to engage learners
and encourage them to network with their peers across the organization.