Learning management systems have evolved over the last decade from their initial administrative purpose of managing learners to an all-encompassing purpose of managing learning. This shift entails the LMS to take up diverse responsibilities – content development using e-learning software, content delivery, student evaluations and assessments, creating digital repositories, providing an interactive platform for collaborative learning and much more. To successfully deliver as per expectations, Learning Management Solutions are moving away from a course-centric focus to a definite learner-centric approach.
- Keeping it simple: A simple and familiar structure gets the learner to interact more with the system and hence utilize it to the fullest. It is then a good move to create the user-interface in line with existing learning systems that the learner is familiar with. Also, embellishing the UI with multiple features unnecessarily clutters the interface.
- Easy integration: A Learning Management System is put into place to make the learning process easiest should align and integrate with existing systems, to decrease the time and efforts lost to change-management. For instance the e-Learning courses installed in our proprietary LMS WiZDOM can be accessed by any third party SCORM compliant LMS using API / other proprietary technologies with no need to upload the course at the learner-end.
- Easily accessibility: Mobile devices have made it possible for the learner to’ learn-on-the-go’ with Learning Management Solutions. Availability of the Internet has also made possible for the learner to access LMS from anywhere. But whether it is on the desktop, laptop or smart-phone, online or offline – the LMS should be accessible to provide learning assistance without any perceptible difference in the quality of experience.
- On demand: For the learner, the LMS becomes truly beneficial when it also creates an avenue for the learner to ‘demand’ what he or she needs to complete the experience of learning. Searchable directories built in LMSs prove to be extremely useful for learners who can look for reference material, quizzes, assignments, discussions or even audio-visuals on a particular subject. Trainers and instructors can keep uploading relevant material for the learners, who can browse through them to choose what is relevant for them.
- Choice of content- To increase learner interest, e-courses are broken down into modules and small nuggets of information that the learner can access as per requirement on the Learning Management System. While the whole course can be completed as per the time-schedule of the learner, modular structure of courses ensure that learners can refresh parts of it from time to time – without reading through the entire course-content.
The learner-centric approach to designing an LMS ensures that the learner benefits most out of the system. By increasing learner-satisfaction with the LMS, quality of learning is improved manifold and with that, the promise of a positive ROI delivered.