A learning management system or LMS is a software application used to manage an online learning platform. It fulfills two main functions: learning and management.

The term LMS is used to designate the system consisting of:

• An online learning platform that hosts the content developed according to a learning strategy, as well as assessment tools
• Educators, trainers and/or tutors who give the courses
• Learners belonging to a virtual community.

The learning management system concept emerged directly from e-Learning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the sudden move to remote learning, learning management systems have seen a massive growth in usage. 

What is the use of an LMS?

An LMS makes it possible to manage all the aspects related to the learning strategy: support for a community of learners, integration of a teaching team, and management of all budgetary aspects. It also aims to centralize the documentary systems of institutions, and of individual teachers who would be able to store all their material in one place. The platform generally allows the use of various resources such as videos, audios and presentations for educators to integrate in their courses and provides tools for interaction and communication between students and teachers. An LMS platform is scalable and certain functionalities can be acquired according to the needs of the institutions.

What are the core features of an LMS platform?

Besides allowing them to work remotely, the advantages of using LMS platforms for educators are the following:

Content management hub

The learning platform should allow instructors to store and manage their data securely, so they can have access and manage all their content in one place. Learners can find all the information and content they need on a single platform. They can also submit assignments, receive feedback and grades and do tests all in the same place. 

Analytics

The learner’s progress is regularly checked thanks to a report that the educator can access and customize according to the lesson’s objectives. Different LMSes have different capabilities, but many platforms such as oktopi.ai have been introducing advanced analytics to help instructors adapt to their learners’ needs. 

Customization of the learning journey

Educators can adapt the content of their training to the learners. Using certain indicators provided by the LMS (for example, the rate of downloading of documents), they can choose to share a particular resource by modifying it according to the expectations and needs of the learner. These new tools allow LMS platforms to enable next-gen education.

Course design

LMS platforms often allow you to directly create course journeys and material such as assessments, quizzes, and exams on the platform. 

Technical support

An LMS platform often offers a technical support service to e-learning training teams.

Cloud-based

The online platform is easily accessible, without geographical or time limits, so many LMS solutions are now cloud-based, where a simple internet connection is enough to connect to it.

Communication between educators and learners

LMS platforms usually include a communication feature that allows participants to either email, chat or schedule live meetings. On oktopi.ai, learners can easily interact with the educator and their peers on the platform. They can send and receive messages or attend live one-to-one meetings with instructors.

 

How to choose the right LMS for you and your students?

If you’re searching for the right LMS to choose, there are a few important things to look out for:

An intuitive interface

Find an LMS with an easy-to-use interface, whether it’s for designing your courses or managing your students. It should also be easy to navigate for students.

Integrated course creation

Unless you have an instructional designer and the budget for a course creation tool in addition to your LMS, look for an LMS that allows you to create courses directly on the platform.  

Content compatibility

Content is an integral part of your course. Try to find an LMS that is compatible with your content’s needs and supports formats such as Word documents, PDF, PowerPoint presentations, images, videos and audios… 

Specific features

Decide what features are important to you based on your needs, the way you imagine your course, and how you want to teach it. If you’d like to video call your students, customize your lessons or add your standard curricula, look for an LMS with a live video feature, a flexible course design, or an integrated curriculum feature.

Affordable pricing 

The pricing model for an LMS may vary depending on the different features they provide. Some have annual or monthly subscriptions, while some offer feature-based pricing bundles. Try to find a platform that provides the tools and services you need and that also fits in your budget.

What are the latest trends in the LMS world?

Personalization of the learning experience

With courses being customized according to each learner’s capacities, learners can move at their own pace, and receive feedback and adapt additional steps on each lesson. On oktopi.ai, educators can link learning objectives to live sessions to give a better idea of the knowledge that needs to be acquired. They can also ask the learners to share their emotions by choosing between different emojis to express how they’re feeling, which can help the instructor better understand the learners and personalize the courses accordingly.

Responsive design

The online learning platform automatically adapts to the tool used (tablet, laptop, computer, etc.) optimizing the reading of text or video content. This allows the learner to learn wherever they are. In most LMS platforms, the mobile-capability feature is currently focused on learners only, whereas it’s mainly still a desktop experience for instructors. Oktopi.ai has a mobile responsive design for instructors to help them teach on the go and be more accessible to learners.  

Gamification function

Some LMS platforms have a gamification dimension into the learning strategy, such as reward systems like stars and badges based on learners doing certain actions within the platform. This allows students to have fun while learning.

If you’re looking for an LMS platform to launch your online teaching journey, search for a free learning management platform (such as oktopi.ai) that will allow you to easily manage your students, save, organize and plan your content and lessons all in one place, benefit from AI-Powered analytics to track your students’ progress and reach them anytime, anywhere. 

If you’re ready to enhance your teaching experience, book a demo with us to see what we’re all about.