Learning management system

A Learning Management System (or LMS) is a term used to describe software tools designed to manage user learning interventions. Learning Management Systems go far beyond conventional training records management and reporting. The value-add for Learning Management Systems is the extensive range of complementary functionality that they offer. Learner self-service (e.g. self-registration on instructor-led Training), training workflow (e.g. user notification, manager approval, waitlist management), 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 resource management (e.g. instructors, facilities, equipment), are some of the additional dimensions to leading Learning Management Systems.

Most LMSs are web-based to facilitate "anytime, any place, any pace" access to learning content and administration.

Leading Learning Management System providers seek to include integrated Performance Management Systems which encompass such functionality as performance management (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 and Performance Management Systems (LPMS) appears to be towards the inclusion of recruitment and reward functionality. With these enhancements in place, the complete lifecycle of learner development, from recruitment to retirement, will be covered.

Learning Management Systems are favoured by regulated industries (e.g. financial services and biopharma) where compliance training is essential.

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 database back-end. While most systems are commercially developed and frequently have non free software free licences or restrict access to their source code, free and open-source models do exist. Other than the most simple, basic functionality, all LMSs cater to, and focus on different educational, administrative, and deployment requirements.

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

Learning management systems vs. learning content management systems (LCMS)

In addition to managing the administrative functions of online learning, some systems also provide tools to deliver and manage instructor-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) MLO as well as virtual spaces for learner interaction (such as discussion forums and live chat rooms). Despite this distinction, the terms LMS is often used to refer to both an LMS and an LCMS, although the LCMS is a further development of the LMS. Due to this conformity issue, the acronym Clcims 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. The primary solution is replacing isolated and fragmented learning programs with a systematic means of assessing and raising competency and performance levels throughout a learning enterprise. For example, an LMS can simplify global certification efforts, enable entities to align learning initiatives with strategic goals, and provide a viable means of enterprise-level skills management. The focus of an LMS is to manage learners, keeping track of their progress and performance across all types of training activities. It performs heavy-duty administrative tasks, such as reporting to intructors, HR and other ERP systems but isn’t generally used to create course content.

In contrast, the focus of an LCMS is on learning content. It gives authors, instructional designers, and subject matter experts the means to create and re-use e-learning content more efficiently. The primary business problem an LCMS solves is to create just enough content just in time to meet the needs of individual learners or groups of learners. Rather than developing entire courses and adapting them to multiple audiences, instructional designers create reusable content chunks or learning objects and make them available to course developers and content experts throughout the organization. This eliminates duplicate development efforts and allows for the rapid assembly of customized content.

Characteristics

As previously mentioned, LMSs can cater to different educational, administrative, and deployment requirements. While an LMS for corporate learning, 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 environment used by universities and colleges allow instructors to manage their courses and exchange information with students for a course that in most cases will last several weeks and will meet several times during those 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

Learning Management Industry

In the relatively new LMS market, commercial vendors for corporate and education applications range from new entrants to those that entered 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% of the market. In addition to the remaining smaller LMS product vendors, training outsourcing firms, enterprise resource planning vendors, and consulting firms all compete for part of the learning management market.

LMS buyers are less satisfied than a year ago. According to 2005 and 2006 surveys by the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)[2], respondents that were very unsatisfied with an LMS purchase doubled and those that were very satisfied decreased by 25%. The number that were very satisfied or satisfied edged over 50%. (About 30% were somewhat satisfied.) Nearly one quarter of respondents intended to purchase a new LMS or outsource their LMS functionality over the next 12 months.

Channel learning is underserved. For many buyers channel learning is not their number one priority, according to a survey by TrainingOutsourcing.com[3]. Often there is a disconnect when the HR department oversees training and development initiatives, where the focus is consolidating LMS systems inside traditional corporate boundaries. Software technology companies are at the front end of this curve, placing higher priority on channel training.

Learning Management Systems and Talent Management Systems While it is easy to restrict Learning Management Systems to the purely technical role of learning and content creation, delivery and user management, a more comprehensive approach to enhancing corporate human capital from recruitment to retirement, must include Talent Management. Inevitably the questions that get raised when looking to integrate Talent Management and Learning Management include:

Process versus technology – which is more important or which comes first.
How can talent management systems work within the current LMS environment?
How can organizations implement talent management giving the current technical and organizational challenges and restrictions of Learning Management Systems.

Are some Learning Management System simply masquerading as Talent Management Systems (or vice versa)?

LMS platforms

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

Open source

ATutor - Open Source Web-based Learning Content Management System
Claroline - Claroline is a free LMS
Dokeos - elearning and course management web application
ILIAS - Open Source Learning Management System
Moodle - course management system
OLAT - Online Learning And Training
Sakai Project - Collaboration and Learning Environment

Commercial

Apex Learning
Blackboard Inc. - a family of software applications designed to enhance teaching and learning
ANGEL Learning

External links

Open Source Learning Management Systems Comparison
Details of all Learning Management Systems - good overview of rather commercial systems
Learning Management Systems Research - private collection