Global eLearning: The Important Role of Learning Management System: 6 Benefits of LMS

Growth Of Online Education: Thanks to LMS Website Development.

Learning management systems (LMS), or learning and development management systems, are software applications used by educational institutions, companies, or government agencies to manage educational programs, training courses, and reports. Directly related to eLearning was the learning management system concept.

Today, the majority of LMSs are employed by businesses, even though the first LMSs were created for higher education. In the market for learning systems, learning management systems are the largest segment. In the mid- the to late 1990s, the first Learning Management System was introduced.

Learning management systems utilize analytical data and reporting in order to identify training gaps. Online learning platforms, such as LMSs, focus on online learning delivery but can be used for other purposes as well, serving as platforms for online course delivery, both asynchronously and synchronously. LMSs can be used to manage classrooms for instructor-led training or flip-classrooms in higher education. Today’s LMSs typically include intelligent algorithms that are able to automate recommendations based on users’ skill profiles. They may also extract metadata from learning materials to enhance those recommendations even further.

This article speaks about how online education is improving everyday thanks to technology. CMS (Content Management System) has evolved from standalone LMS systems. Thus, learning has been made more challenging than it ever was with technology-driven learning management systems.

An argument in favor of online education or eLearning:

Private and public education systems both stand to gain from the adoption of this technology. A number of key factors are brought about by technology in education:

• SIGNIFICANT ACCESSIBILITY:

  Broader access to education has been achieved due to the proliferation of technology, particularly the internet and hand-held devices, which have made it possible for people to access courses and education systems that they would not otherwise have access to. Students and teachers can be closer to each other with the help of technology.

• COST EFFICIENCY:

  It is undeniable that online education is an affordable form of education. Because course materials are now available for significantly lower prices, students who cannot afford university tuition and housing can now access online courses and study like their peers who can afford the real-life experience.

• ADAPTABILITY:

  Students can manage online courses on their own schedule through assistive technology. It is easy to pace courses and learn at a comfortable pace when you use an online education website, especially if you work full-time or are unable to attend a traditional classroom.

• CONSTRUCTIVENESS:

  Educating children from all social spheres is feasible through online education, but traditional systems may fail in some instances. Space or time is not constraints when it comes to online systems.

We can see how online education helps the larger picture when we view education as a human right. It is imperative that public, charter, and private schools make learning affordable and accessible to all. The Internet makes this possible.

eLearning : Now a Necessity, Not an Option.

COVID-19 has caused many cities to turn into ghost towns across the world. Additionally, schools, colleges, and universities have been quarantined as a result of this outbreak. The Corona Virus has forced schools to use online pedagogy instead of offline pedagogy. A crisis like this forced institutions that previously rejected modernization.

Resistance to change had no positive effect on any educational institution in the world. There was a risk that educational units would lose their reputations. This problem could only be solved by offering online classes instead of face-to-face lectures.

Due to such a problem, the products from Google proved to be very useful in such a case; they were:

Gmail, Google Forms, Calendars, G-Drive, Google Hangouts, Google Jam board and Drawings, Google Classroom, and Open Board Software.

India’s Online Education Market Outlook

As cloud computing reaches India, the online education market will undergo significant changes. Companies offering online training in India have access to a significant quantity of data, content, and information due to cloud technology. Saved data supports easy management, procurement, processing, and accessibility of information from anywhere. Big data and learning analytics are also popular trends in the eLearning market. Over $18 billion is predicted to be generated by the Indian eLearning market by 2022.

This technology provides online course providers with actionable intelligence about learners’ preferences and behaviors to increase course efficiency. Therefore, the Indian online education market will grow owing to the growing popularity of analytics. Due to the increasing demand for alternative learning sources, the country presents significant opportunities for companies that are providing eLearning tools or services in India. Online education is expected to grow at an exponential rate in India with the extensive adoption of the latest technology and methods.

In Indian’s online education market, Technavio predicts a CAGR of over 21% over the next four years and a market size of USD 14.33 billion during 2020-2024.

The eLearning Market in India: Future Trends

Data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows that 30% of Indian youth between 15 and 29 are not in school or not employed. The system is inaccessible, which is why enrollment is low in traditional education. A MOOC is also a valuable resource for career aspirants since employers are seeking qualified labor as well as manpower. Top eLearning companies in India have adopted the latest technologies and methods to offer high-quality course materials to prospective learners due to the rise in demand for online education.

India’s growing internet and smartphone penetration is another factor contributing to the growth of the online education market. eLearning companies in India are able to acquire and monetize a large customer base because of high penetration. Digital platforms provide a significant opportunity for educational content development companies in India. For instance, BYJU’s, an EdTech company based in Bangalore, published its mobile app in 2015, which has been downloaded by about 6 million people across the country. Thus, it can be concluded that eLearning companies in India have an impressive and promising future in eLearning.

Indian eLearning companies: Future plans and growth

Modern eLearning companies to replace traditional education systems are using the latest educational technologies. A number of trends are affecting education online in India, such as analytics, big data, and cloud computing. Due to this, more and more educational institutions are implementing cloud-based ERP and learning management systems. eLearning companies in India are effectively partnering with government, state governments, and school boards to use cloud platforms.

In addition to creating custom courses and promoting the self-regulation of learners, these companies distribute frequent quizzes, aggregate large amounts of data, and make grades and learning progress accessible to students by utilizing learning analytics or big data analytics. eLearning in India will gain traction as technology advances and the awareness of new technologies increases, helping drive the growth of the market.

The Standalone LMS

eLearning has been made possible by online learning management systems for a few years now. Blackboard, Moodle, and Canvas are some of the most popular LMS’s that are used around the world for eLearning.

A system that is independent from another has the following characteristics:

• Complexity is often associated with them. It can take hours of coding to configure an efficient back end.
• Standardization is pretty much a given when it comes to look and feel. The ability to customize a standalone system to improve the user experience is not a high score.
• When scalability is involved for many users, installations can be quite large, which can cost quite a bit to administer. A system like Moodle cannot really benefit from shared hosting.
• When using a standalone LMS, it’s difficult to combine eCommerce and eLearning. Regardless of Moodle’s ability to sell courses online, standalone systems cannot manage orders, payments, or tracking.

Installing an LMS on WordPress

The WordPress blogging platform was what it started out as. Over the last few years, it has evolved into WordPress CMS, a tool that is increasingly becoming the tool that nearly all businesses want.

WordPress LMS web development offers certain benefits in comparison with standalone systems, such as:

• WP Courseware, for instance, allows course creation via drag-and-drop, achieving some of the ease of use of standalone systems.
• With WordPress, you can enhance the user experience through themes, widgets, and CSS animations.
• Despite resource-intensive plug-ins, the installation is about one-third of the size of a standalone learning management system.
• With WordPress, you can easily integrate WooCommerce into your marketing campaign. The course sales management can be done quite easily and elegantly.
• The WordPress extension marketplace allows users to share content on social media, analyze web traffic, conduct email campaigns, and more.

The Learner Management System: how does it work?

Users of a learning management system have access to information in one location and can store and track it at their convenience. The system’s online learning resources are available to anyone who has a secure login and password. Users can either download or access the software through their company’s server if they have a self-hosted system.

Successful learning management systems have features such as:

• FLEXIBLE DESIGN

  The LMS should be accessible by any type of device, regardless of the type of computer, tablet, phone, or laptop. Depending on the user’s chosen device, the LMS should automatically display the appropriate version. As an added
  feature, the LMS should allow users to download content so that they can access it offline.

• USER-FRIENDLY INTERFACE –

  Users should be able to navigate freely through the LMS platform’s user interface (UI). In addition, the UI must meet both the needs and goals of the users and the organization. To prevent users from becoming confused or distracted, the LMS user interface should be intuitive.

• REPORTING AND ANALYTICS –

  eLearning assessment tools are included in reporting and analytics. Online training initiatives must be tracked and viewed by instructors and administrators to determine if they are working or need to be adjusted. Both individuals and groups can benefit from this.

• E-LEARNING COURSE MANAGEMENT

  The LMS integrates all eLearning courses along with course content. These catalogs and courses can be created and managed by admins and instructors so that learners can gain a more targeted education.

• CONTENT INTEGRATION AND INTEROPERABILITY

  Employing open standards, including SCORM and xAPI, when packaging and storing content in an LMS.

• SERVICES OFFERED BY LMS VENDORS

  There are different levels of support offered by LMS vendors. Users can connect and ask for help on discussion boards in many of them. An additional support service, like a toll-free number, can be purchased separately.

• CERTIFICATIONS AND TRAINING FOR COMPLIANCE

  A certifications and training system must have this feature. It is crucial that instructors and administrators are able to evaluate student performance and identify any gaping skills. Using LMS records during an audit will also be possible using this feature.

• SOCIAL LEARNING TOOLS

  The use of social learning tools has grown within many LMSs. By collaborating and sharing their experiences, users can interact with their peers.

• GAMIFICATION FEATURES

  The ability to create courses with extra motivation and engagement is provided by certain LMSes which include game mechanics or built-in gamification features. Students can use this as an additional incentive to finish the class, as in leaderboards, badges, and points.

• IN TERMS OF AUTOMATION

  Automating repetitive tasks should be possible with a learning management system. Grouping users, adding new users, deactivating users, and enrolling groups are examples.

• MULTILINGUAL SUPPORT

  language barriers when using LMSs that support multilingual support should not affect the learning and training content. Geolocation features allow some learning management systems to automatically display the latest version of the course upon accessing it.

• ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

  Lastly, artificial intelligence can enhance learning experiences by recommending topics based on the courses a user has already completed and by creating course formats that are tailored to the user’s preferences.

Learning management system deployment options:

• CLOUD-BASED LMS:

  Software-as-a-service (SaaS) is the business model for cloud-based LMS. Learning Management Systems that utilize cloud technology must be maintained and updated by their vendors. The system allows online users to log in at any time and from any place with a user name and password.

• SELF-HOSTED LMS:

  LMSs that are self-hosted require that the user download software. Self-hosted platforms allow users to customize and maintain their own systems, but they must pay for updates and often have to maintain them themselves.

• DESKTOP APPLICATION LMS:

  LMSs that are installed on a user’s desktop are called desktop application LMSs. It might still be possible to use the application across multiple devices.

• MOBILE APPLICATION LMS:

  LMSs that support mobile learning can be accessed anywhere, at any time, using mobile devices. Mobile learning initiatives can be tracked and engaged using this method of platform deployment.

Using a learning management system has many advantages:

It does not matter what type of organization uses a learning management system. A learning management system can, for instance, reduce an organization’s costs and time. Learners can complete coursework at a time that is convenient for them, rather than having to travel and sit through lessons. Moreover, it is possible to reduce costs even further by eliminating instructor costs, training days, training materials, travel expenses, and rental locations.

Among the other benefits of learning management systems are:

1. Monitoring of user progress; allowing for personalized learning, and communicating with administrators;
2. Enhanced accessibility to eLearning across all geographies;
3. Personalizing the online learning experience;
4. Modules and activities in eLearning can be easily and efficiently updated;
5. Providing easy access to training and learning materials; and
6. The automated deployment of trainees and certifications allows users to focus on more important tasks instead of tedious, repetitive tasks.

Concluding Thoughts:

Regardless of what eLearning needs, an LMS will deliver them. In the absence of it, the online world would be a giant textbook full of unorganized knowledge – studying efforts would be chaotic and there would be less methodology to aid our receiving, understanding, and retaining of information. Obviously, learning would not take place in the same manner as using a learning management system. e-learning delivers clear advantages over traditional lessons, and neither of them could be conducted without an LMS.

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