Learning management systems are well known for their ability to centralise learning in one platform, allowing all learners to do their training at any time and from anywhere. They are also a great tool to track performance of each individual and provide reports back to managers or educators confirming the training has been completed. It’s a simplified learning process that saves companies and schools millions of pounds every year, as there is no need to book a trainer and a classroom/training room, or for travel to a venue since the learning can be completed remotely.
Purchasing an LMS is a big decision to make and you should very carefully consider your options. Make sure to do your research before you make any decisions as it would be quite a pain to change your LMS if you’re not happy with it. Imagine that if you try and change your learning platform you might have to upload all your old documents to the new system – it’s not an easy task.
We’ve created an LMS checklist on how to choose the best learning management system for your organization. Below you can find the key features that should be included in your LMS.
For Learners
- Notification of mandatory courses
- Integration with calendars
- Learner feedback on quality
- Discussion areas
- Contact with first-line support
- Clean/simple interface
- Ability to revisit a course
- Automated reminders
- Dependable activities
- Customizable page templates
- Courses sent for manager’s approval
- Self-enrolled e-learning
- Interoperable with mobile devices
For Trainers
- Accepts SCORM-compliant courses
- Ability to set group-learning modules as mandatory
- Set hierarchies for reporting
- Learning modules can be set as mandatory
- Learning has prerequisite requirements
- Actions are automated if a learner fails a learning module
- Ability to set a maximum number of attempts
- Learner groups can be re-assigned learning programmes each year
- Ability to archive learning without deleting results/history
LMS Admin
- Language support for multiple languages
- Integration with Active Directory
- Integration with HR systems
- Support for training
- Help Desk issue reporting and tracking
Content Authoring
- Ability to create SCORM compliant courses
- Convert existing material into Flash or HTML5
- Quiz tool
- Screen capture facility
- Set Pass/Fail, completion amount, grade options
- Option of both local install or cloud based for collaborative projects
- Localization of content and accessibility
Reporting
- Reports weekly / daily on LMS activity
- Reports by learner activity / progress
- Reports on activity by learner module
- Reports on feedback
- Reports on grades by learning modules
- Reporting at different levels, e.g. learner, manager, branch director, etc
- Ability to report on competencies
- 360 degree reporting
- Automated email reports
- Reports on completion