Modern learning management systems (LMS) offer companies a huge variety of different functions for their platforms. But which ones should you really pay attention to when making a selection? In this article, you will learn about the 5 most important functions that every LMS must provide as a basis for successful online continuing education.
The selection of eLearning tools and learning management systems (LMS) is vast, and the variety of functions can be overwhelming for those responsible in companies. The extent of the offerings is demonstrated by comparisons: On the comparison platform Capterra alone, around 50 different functions are listed for learning platforms: From A for API to Z for certification.
Learning platforms today offer a wide range of different functions // Source: Capterra
However, more functions are not always better – and not all functions are truly essential for successful e-learning in companies.
Are more functions in an LMS always better for companies?
Tool providers compete with each other on the number of functions. However, "more" is not always "better". An LMS platform with many functions that you only need a few of in everyday life can actually be problematic for companies: Many (unnecessary) functions make an LMS unnecessarily complicated for course creators and the learning employees of your company.
If you are looking for an LMS for your company, the question should not be "How many functions does the learning platform have?" – instead, ask yourself, "Which functions are really necessary?" The ideal LMS for companies offers a balance between functions and usability. Before you engage with the various LMS providers, you should create a requirements catalog. In doing so, you should involve all stakeholders: employees, IT, and the future course creators.
In the free checklist "Successfully Start E-Learning in Companies", you will learn all about tool selection and the first steps:
In addition to individual requirements, there are also some functions that every LMS platform for companies should have. The following 5 functions together provide a stable foundation for effective online continuing education in companies:
5 Basic Functions for Every LMS in Companies
1. Authoring function for your own content
The focus of most LMS is, as the name suggests, on the management of courses and participants. However, the basis of every e-learning is often overlooked: the content. When deciding "Make or Buy," it is worthwhile in many cases to create training content for employees yourself, so that it perfectly fits the learners and the learning objectives. Therefore, a good LMS for companies must also provide opportunities to create your own content. There is a flowing transition between LMS and LCMS (Learning Content Management Systems).
When selecting an LMS for your company, ensure that content can be created in common formats. This includes, for example, images, videos, and presentations. The LMS does not necessarily need to include a complex authoring tool. What's important is that course creators can quickly create and modify their own content.
2. Comment function
Especially in e-learning, where employees do not sit together in a training room, the exchange among each other is often difficult. However, social learning is an important success factor for sustainable learning: Learning together, with each other, and from each other enhances the learning effect!
To enable exchange on a learning platform, the LMS must absolutely provide corresponding functions for your company. Comment functions, similar to those on social media platforms, are common: Employees can ask questions under learning units, share their own experiences, or initiate discussions with other learners.
With a simple comment function, employees can also exchange ideas in the online course. // Source: blink.it
3. Quiz function
In traditional employee training, not only the learning content is used: Self-assessments, knowledge questions, examinations, and feedback forms are integral to the process of most trainings. These important elements must also be provided by an LMS for companies: They help not only to solidify new knowledge but also to gather opinions. Quizzes make e-learning varied, interactive, and allow for transparency and measurable results.
Therefore, a learning platform should offer a function for creating quizzes. Ensure that various quiz types are possible in e-learning: Surveys, interim tests, and examinations should absolutely be possible. Particularly for compliance courses, the LMS should also be able to issue individualized certificates after completed exams to visibly demonstrate learning success in the company "in black and white".
4. Evaluation function
Which employees are actively engaged? Who is falling behind in the learning material? What is the group's learning status? – These questions can usually be answered easily in traditional face-to-face training. However, it can be challenging for course leaders to keep track of all employees across the various measures on a learning platform.
The LMS must support this with corresponding functions. Here, too, you should weigh based on business goals: Are large dashboards with numerous evaluations and statistics necessary? As a basis, ensure that it is easily apparent to course leaders which employees are actively participating in the course and which content has been worked on.
A simple evaluation quickly shows where individual employees stand in the learning process. // Source: blink.it
5. Mobile learning
A main advantage of e-learning in companies is the high flexibility: Employees do not need to leave their workplace to educate themselves. Ideally, they can learn anytime and anywhere. However, this advantage is lost if the LMS is only available on a few company-internal devices. The magic word here is: Mobile Learning!
To fully utilize flexibility, the LMS for companies must be fully compatible with various device types and also available outside the company network. Therefore, when selecting an LMS, ensure that the learning platform works on desktop devices, tablets, and smartphones. The content must be fully responsive. This way, employees can learn anytime and anywhere – perfectly integrating further education into their daily routine.
Summary: Basic Functions of Every LMS for Companies
These functions should definitely be offered by an LMS for continuing education in companies:
Authoring functions, enabling course creators to flexibly create and edit their own learning content using common media.
Comment function, allowing learners to exchange ideas with each other and with course leaders and actively engage in the course.
Quiz function for interactive content that supports the learning process, such as knowledge tests, feedback forms, and final examinations.
Evaluation function that makes the activity of learners in the course and the current learning status visible to course leaders at all times.
Mobile function to make learning content flexibly available regardless of time and device.
All functions are provided by, for example, blink.it. Whether blink.it is suitable for your company can be quickly determined here: Quick test for companies: Is blink.it the right learning platform?
If you pay attention to these functions when selecting an LMS, you already have a good foundation for successful online continuing education in your company. Further functions will emerge from the requirements catalog. However, it is always important to maintain the perspective of "As much as necessary, as little as possible" when choosing functions to avoid confusing those responsible and learners with unnecessary features.
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