Learning Management Systems: Top Platforms and Features to Look For

Since its inception, the global eLearning industry has grown to a whopping 900%^[i]. And, the online learning market size is projected to reach $325^[ii] Billion globally by 2025.

With this rapid expansion in the eLearning industry, the competition will rise too. For enabling growth, eLearning businesses are getting ready to go big with emerging trends. This includes getting a competitive-edge with learning experience platforms, hybrid learning, micro-credentials, artificial intelligence, AR & VR, mobile-first learning, and other trends.

And one trend that is topping all charts in the eLearning industry is a Learning Management System or LMS.

The LMS software application or platform facilitates the creation, delivery, management, and tracking of online learning and training programs.

But how is an LMS beneficial to an eLearning business, what are the top LMS platforms to choose from, and what are the pivotal features to look for in an LMS?

Let’s dive deeper into the concept of LMS and find out!

The Role of LMS to Enhance Your eLearning Expertise

Employing an LMS system enables convenient access to distinct learning resources like written material, presentations, videos, webinars, tutorials, and interactive lessons. These resources can enhance your employee’s learning efficiency and ensure uniformity in skill development.

Additionally, an LMS can empower your business by offering personalized learning materials, advanced reporting and tracking, centralized content management, and more.

However, given the abundance of eLearning training platforms in the market, it can be challenging to determine the reasons for selecting a specific one over others. Therefore, when choosing an LMS, prioritize the features that align with your eLearning business requirements and goals.

Let’s improve your learning experiences by choosing an LMS that includes these imperative features.

Things to Consider While Choosing a Reliable LMS

1. Course Creation

Most LMSs provide options that may require you to generate content externally and import it into the system. To streamline your processes and save time, it is advisable to choose an LMS that incorporates course creation functionality.

2. Performance Tracking

Tracking the learners’ skills development and certifications is a crucial LMS feature. With this, you can measure their performance and improvement by recording the completed and pending certifications. This also facilitates government compliance and enables easy data export.

3. Mobile Learning

The mobile learning market is projected to grow to $199.06^[iii] Billion globally by 2027. This significant demand for mobile learning necessitates the inclusion of its capabilities in an LMS. The mLearning feature ensures that learners access the learning material timely. Also, it enables businesses with a global presence to train their talent on the go without compromising the quality of training.

4. Gamification

While learning for the sake of learning is a noble concept, incentivizing the process can be beneficial in the eLearning world. Therefore, incorporating gamification features into LMS courses and training programs can transform learning into a friendly competition and boost participation. This can be achieved by engaging learners and expediting their progress through modules.

5. eCommerce and Subscriptions

An LMS must offer the opportunity to publish and monetize your existing content to a broader audience. This is achieved by choosing an LMS that enables you to gate the eLearning content. This includes requiring learners to provide email addresses, make a one-time payment, or subscribe monthly to access a course or learning module. This feature will generate recurring income for your business and enable you to capitalize on your collective intelligence.

6. Security

In the digital landscape where personal data and contact information are required by all apps and online platforms – data privacy is imperative for a reliable LMS. So, it is essential to prioritize the privacy control features and data backup system when selecting an LMS. Ensure the vendor provides assurance regarding secure servers to prevent data breaches and the leakage of user information.

7. Artificial Intelligence

An AI-powered LMS automates and organizes the online training process. Also, it can enable you to deliver an enhanced user experience by providing a contextualized interface and sharing real-time updates. This LMS feature offers personalized learning, intelligent content recommendations, adaptive assessments, predictive analytics, and more.

Deliver Engaging eLearning Experiences With the Right LMS

Choosing the right LMS requires in-depth research of the offered features, integrations, scalability, support, and other parameters.

Here are six top-performing Learning Management Systems (LMSs) to consider.

1. Moodle: This is a flexible open-source and comprehensive LMS that offers educators, administrators, and learners a unified, secure, and integrated system for creating a personalized learning environment.

Its features include modular design, smoother UX with enhancements, virtual classroom integration, TinyMCE 6 and Auto Editor, and better collaboration with Moodle question bank. Additionally, it offers centralized tools, safe online places, and easy information access.

2. Docebo: This is a cloud-based eLearning platform that facilitates user-friendly and multi-functional online training for your employees. It offers social learning tools, personalized learning paths, responsive designs, AI & machine learning capabilities, and data migration. Also, it offers integrations with third-party tools and systems such as video conferencing and collaboration tools, HR management systems, and content authoring tools.

3. SAP Litmos LMS: SAP Litmos Training is a cloud-based LMS solution designed with a user-centered and mobile-friendly approach. It empowers your L&D team to effectively address employee skills training, customer training tailored to your products, compliance training, or extended enterprise training needs. Its features include compliance management, activity grading, certificate management, gamification, mobile learning, etc.

4. Adobe Learning Manager: This is a cloud-based LMS, tailored for mid to large enterprises. It offers various capabilities to deliver personalized learning experiences and serve partners, customers, & employees. Its features include structured learning management, seamless communication & engagement, access to interactive training materials, analytics & insights, etc.

5. Blackboard Learn: Blackboard Learn is a web-based virtual learning environment and LMS that offers course management, a customizable open architecture, and a scalable design. Also, this LMS platform enables seamless integration with student information systems, virtual classroom tools, plagiarism detection tools, and authentication protocols.

6. Schoology: This is a K-12 Cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS) learning management system that empowers data-driven teaching and mobile-friendly learning. This platform can be easily integrated with Google Drive, Microsoft Office, Turnitin, and YouTube. Its features include comprehensive teaching, deeper performance insights, centralized content management, and more.

The potential in the LMS market is enormous. More and more industries are facilitating eLearning by recognizing the significance of a learning management system. So, boost customer satisfaction, train employees and franchisee partners, or empower your departments with a responsive LMS solution. With capabilities like streamlining training administration, providing tracking and reporting, enhancing CX, etc., an LMS will surely improve your user engagement, conversion, and revenue.

Wish to Enhance Your eLearning Experience With a Custom LMS? Talk to Us!

References

^{[i] & [ii]} Guru99
^[iii] Globenewswire