How to Choose a Distance Learning System?

Approximate reading time: 3m 16s

The distance learning system (LMS – Learning Management System) is an integral part of the learning ecosystem that improves the effectiveness of teaching and learning for institutions and organizations. Alas, choosing a distance learning platform that is suitable for you can be a daunting task that leaves many trainers wondering: "Where do I start?"

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Step 1: Every university, school, or business has a different set of needs. Define your specific e-learning goals and think about what features of the distance learning system you will need to achieve those goals.

Step 2: Remember to consider the type of technology your LMS uses. Whether the learning platform uses paid licenses or is open-source technology will affect usage options and your budget.

Step 3: Keep in mind that there are several essential features that will be important for any organization to support a flexible and effective platform. See the following five functionalities that you should have in your e-learning platform:

Integration of a distance learning system

Close integration between your LMS and your current IT infrastructure is essential for seamlessly unifying existing systems. As a hub for delivering and tracking training, you will want your LMS to talk (or to pass important information back and forth) with your secondary systems. For example, real-time integration between your LMS and your student information system (SIS), active directory, or enterprise resource planning (ERP) system will change your life when it comes to automating processes and saving time.

When evaluating LMS platforms, you will want to keep integration capabilities in mind. As open-source distance learning platforms, ILIAS and Moodle can be easily integrated with various other programs to meet the different needs of an organization.

 We can help you choose a learning platform. Contact us at tel.: +359 878 685 304, e-mail: office@nitbg.com.

Training reports in the e-learning platform

Reporting is one of the most important features of a distance learning system. If you have formal compliance requirements, reports are essential for documenting that learners have completed mandatory training and assessment modules. Reports can also motivate your team, encouraging learners to complete their e-learning effectively before deadlines expire. Without adequate reports, it is difficult to measure the success of training programs and identify where improvements should be made.

Your LMS should allow you to track learner progress, course activity, and completion rates to create summary reports, custom reports, and key analytics. Some report examples include:

• Course reports – who, when, and how a course or courses were completed. May include detailed reports on the completion of each individual item in the course.
• User reports – which courses and with what success were completed by a given user or users. May include detailed reports on the completion of each individual item in the course.
• Test reports – selection of a list of tests, with reporting on the users who completed them, along with their results

Mobile capabilities of an LMS

Today's distance learning systems must have responsive design and a mobile app so that learners can access educational resources anywhere and at any time. Many learning platforms have created their own mobile applications to provide access from portable computing devices such as iPads, tablets, PDAs, and smartphones, allowing teaching and learning to extend beyond the spaces of the traditional classroom. Choosing an LMS with mobile capabilities gives you the opportunity to use technological mobile learning strategies such as microlearning. The systems we offer are tailored to these requirements.

Compatibility with e-learning standards

The usability of an LMS is much more than a convenient user interface. Since most modern content creation tools such as Articulate, Captivate, and Camtasia adhere to common standards such as SCORM, xAPI, and AICC, you must be sure that the learning platform you are considering integrating works with these standards.

An LMS that supports these standards ensures that all content developed within these software solutions will work correctly in your LMS. It also protects your investment in content when you upgrade the distance learning system or migrate to other systems.
How can you be sure that the e-learning platform you intend to choose meets these standards? Simply ask the platform provider to give a live demonstration. Have the vendor show you how to import content into the LMS and then launch it in a course. If it works, great! If not, then it is time to consider a different system. We will be happy to demonstrate compatibility with all e-learning system standards we offer.

Accessible design

Accessibility - or ensuring that content in the LMS is accessible to every learner - is a key focus in distance learning. The distance learning system should be built with accessibility in mind so that it can meet different user needs and learning preferences.

Overall, the essential LMS features will depend on your specific training goals and requirements. When choosing a learning platform, make sure you have identified the features you want, as well as those you will need. If you need help identifying your needs and choosing an e-learning platform – we are here to help!

Source: https://www.td.org/insights/your-lms-must-have-checklist