Let’s explore the benefits both systems can bring, so you can see which would be a good fit for you. The difference is subtle between the two, but knowing the difference will enable organisations to match the system to their learning needs.
CMS: Content Management System
Content management systems create the framework in which content is stored and displayed on a website. A CMS provides the space for content to be stored and displayed or collaborated on with team members. A good example of this is WordPress. CMS primarily serves to facilitate the creation of content but essentially allows distributors to decide which content is displayed on the website.
Benefits:
Rather than working from multiple documents or systems, a CMS gives you the ability to upload everything into one system.
Not only can you store all the information about your courses, but you can assign resources, instructors, and classrooms. This ensures that you have everything you need for each course to run successfully.
If you use a CMS as part of a training management system you should be able to integrate your CMS with your website, saving you time and effort for your team.
LMS: Learning Management System
Learning Management Systems allow companies and educational bodies to upload online training content or courses for their employees or students and track their participation. Commonly used in corporate training and higher education settings, LMS platforms are able to provide space for learners to absorb, train, test, and collaborate.
Benefits:
A Learning Management System is a great way of keeping track of your students’ progress as they make their way through your training and also measures the effectiveness of your eLearning offering. This enables you to see where you need to make improvements to your course content.
Adding another form of course delivery to your training offering is always a great option so that you can open yourself up to a vast amount of new potential customers.
You aren’t limited by the amount of teaching time you have or the number of classrooms you have because you can run as many eLearning courses as you want
CMS vs LMS Summary
In short, an LMS places emphasis on “learning”, whereas a CMS places emphasis on “content”. The truth is CMS and LMS do very different jobs, but they are both a great addition to your training business.
While these management systems have several similarities, they ultimately have different functions. It’s important you understand the differences of each management system as choosing the wrong system could be costly.
Webanywhere have been supplying learning management systems (LMS) to organisations around the world since 2006. Please contact us at info@webanywhere.com