Choosing a right Learning Management System and LMS provider

An LMS (Learning Management System) is a software platform that helps an organisation to conduct, manage and track online learning of their employees through LMS software.

A Modern Approach to Corporate Learning and Training

Any Organization setting foot to become a 21st Century looking forward to employing dynamic employees now need to emphasize on their Learning Roadmap. Selecting an LMS to handle their  online training has become a trend and there are very few Organization who have still not adopted an LMS in their system.

Mobile accessibility has further worked to transform the landscape of LMS, putting learning at the fingertips of employees and managers. LMS has helped to effectively utilise the training budgets of the organisation while making learning happen 24 X 7.

Functions of LMS Systems

The function of the learning and training department involves tracking employee training, skills & abilities upgradation, and accomplishments. To achieve these Learning Objectives , LMS helps the employees to achieve their learning  Objectives and various Programs as per their convenience , at a time that they want and at the place that they want. This helps the professionals as they not bogged down by training schedules imposed on them .

Learning Management System has a host of activities that a user can access . With these host of functions , information gathering or tracking becomes a breeze . LMS modules are capable to assist an Land D Manager with :

• Manage skilling
• Assessment
• Gathering, storing, and accessing employee learning/training information
• Keeping training records
• Performance evaluation
• Analytics and informed decision making

Assessing the Need for a LMS Solution

Before a company makes a decision regarding the selection of a LMS solution, it is important for the management team to identify the needs of the company, its processes, and their goals for the both long term and the short term. It is essential for the success of the project that the Professionals from the Learning Department and the Heads of Organization are actively involved in the process.

Depending on the size and structure of the company, it may be helpful to have an organization-wide buy in or alternately select representatives from each department to discuss their Learning Goals and their expectation from the Learning Management System .

LMS Security

Security Features in an LMS are one of the most important traits to be considered when it comes to choosing an LMS. The information stored in an LMS can be  highly sensitive, including proprietary company data and volumes of personal information about employees.  It is therefore essential for the companies to choose a solution that utilizes a method of secure transmission such as SSL which encrypts the data as it transmits over the internet.

Internal security is also critical; information should be guarded by passwords that have varying levels of access in relation to what is needed for the job position. While most companies now allow employees to access LMS functionalities depending on their job role, employees must understand the importance of maintaining the integrity of the system and protecting the security of the information it contains (i.e. no password sharing). Safeguards should also be in place to quickly bar terminated employees’ access to systems.

LMS Selection

Selecting and implementing the right LMS for your company can make a huge difference to your future growth and success. While it is possible to take care of employees learning through classroom training, a LMS can help to elevate productivity levels and can change the way that your company is perceived in the modern marketplace. It is important to remember that these systems are not “one size fits all,” however; just as each company is different, so are the systems available on the market to choose from.

Finding the Right LMS

Choosing a Learning Management System is a complicated process and can be very time consuming and overwhelming for organizations  since there are many different aspects to consider, not to mention that the LMS is usually the most expensive component of the online learning ecosystem. The main features and most important functionalities that selectors should look for during their search for the perfect LMS.

Functionality

• SCORM / AICC
• Tin Can API
• Analytics
• Scalable
• Features

Course Design

• Instructional Design Tools
• Course Creation Tools
• Content Development
• Course Feedback

Assessment

• Realtime Learner Participation Tracking
• Customizable Reports
• Printable Cerificates
• Group Reporting
• External Training
• Event Tracking

Collaboration & Communication

• Course Notes
• File Exchanges
• Discussion Groups
• Collaboration Features
• Resource Management

Accessibility

• 24/7/365
• Web-Based
• Tablet Accessible
• Assignable Privileges

Easy to Use

• How-to-Guides
• Customizable
• Easy Navigation
• Onboarding

Customer Support

• Help Desk
• Vendor Support
• Online Support Hub
• User Groups

Security

• Privacy Controls
• Server Locations
• Automatic Backup System

Finding a LMS that fits your needs can be fast and easy! We take the pain out of your search by doing all of the heavy lifting for you and providing you with a short list of highly compatible solutions. If you’re ready to find the best LMS software for your company just get in touch with us or explore more on Nucleus to get started.

5 reasons why you need an LMS with social media integration

Social media has become an essential part of our life as we are constantly connected with friends, peers, and the whole world for various purposes. We can gather knowledge in the form of blogs, videos, podcasts while can engage with people via games, discussions, and experiences. Also, this interaction is not limited to just chatting or sharing information; it has also become a learning tool for personal and professional growth. Therefore, many organizations are opting for a learning management system (LMS) that can integrate the social media to make eLearning more engaging for their employees.

An LMS with social media integration not only supports online training goals but also helps in increasing the participation and engagement of the users. Also, the effectiveness of including social media in your eLearning or eTraining program will depend on the fact that how positively your organization supports the use of social media in your work culture. As more people are logging on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, it becomes imperative to customize your LMS and align your training program with social media and analytics.

Your LMS can be more measurable by adding social learning features and analytics to your training and learning program. Here are five reasons that explain how social media integration of an LMS can provide a good eLearning engagement:

Interactive Learning

Social media when connected with LMS allows the admin to create interest based polls, surveys and discussions to engage learners as well as trainers. As people are constantly connected with their mobile or laptop, they tend to interact more by sharing their common interests. This not only helps to spread the objectives of eLearning program, but also enables close communication among all the learners. This not only enhances the interaction but also helps all stakeholders to share their perspectives.

Measurable Analytics

With internet and mobile devices, the learning has gone beyond time, demographics, and physical appearance. When your LMS has social media integration, it offers 24×7 accessibility to your employees and encourages self-learning to help them achieve in their daily goals. Also, if the learning program is using an LRS, you can store data about your learner’s experience by analyzing their social media habits. Using these analytics, you can customize your training program and engage your learners to improve their skill sets and boost the productivity.

Content Outreach

As your LMS users are connected online, they share information in real time using various social media channels. They share what they have learned using your LMS and what best practices you are using to deliver an impactful eLearning. This not only boosts the outreach of your content but also increases online visibility, which can potentially enhance your LMS sales. Social network integration also provides you an opportunity to connect with your target audience  swiftly and build credibility among them in the most natural way.

Compound Learning

With the integration of social learning, you can the employees to learn things in multiple styles. You can create the variety by using audio, video, infographics formats and distribute the same using social media. By practicing this, learning becomes more interactive and sharable; therefore everyone enjoys the process to learn things quickly. You can also opt for third party integration like YouTube, podcasts, and mobile app, which can act as a medium to deliver your training via LMS.

User-generated Content

We all love to share our achievements and success with the world, especially on social media. Learners who have got benefitted with your training can share their experience with their peers. This provides an opportunity to use your learner’s feedback as original content and reach out to potential target audience by posting it on various eLearning industry forums. Additionally, this user-generated content also helps you to organically promote your business, training program, and eLearning courses.

If you are still wondering whether to incorporate social media learning in your eLearning system or not, contact our team of experts to have a free demo of LMS customization and integration. Our customized LMS, Nucleus enables social media connection, customized reporting, user analytics, and payment integration for all your learning and business solution needs.