Technological advances have contributed to the development of several tools that facilitate the storage of information.
In the field of education, the LMS platform is one of those tools that has not only facilitated learning processes, but has also transformed the way people learn and teach today.
Even so, many people who face the market for the first time are confused by the existing terms or do not know exactly what each one means.
So that there are no doubts about what the LMS platform is and what it offers to those who are interested in doing digital training, continue with us. We are going to talk all about it in this post!
What is the LMS platform?
LMS is the acronym in English for Learning Management System, also known in Spanish as Learning Management System.
We know that for a face-to-face class to take place, it is necessary to have a physical space, that is, a classroom.
Unlike the traditional teaching process, the LMS platform was developed to transport the face-to-face educational environment to the virtual space. Thus, it is possible to make available a totally online teaching.
With the use of technological resources and tools, the LMS platform transforms the learning process into something dynamic, complete and accessible.
The platform can be free or paid and have varied functionalities. It all depends on the objective of the contracting company.
And when we talk about companies, it is because the distance education market has attracted the attention not only of educational institutions, but also of the corporate sector, which has invested more and more in the use of the LMS platform for .
Anyway, despite talking about the same system, there are significant differences between the corporate LMS platform and the educational one.
Of course, both have to offer access for the educational process to take place at any time and from anywhere.
However, a corporate LMS focuses on staff performance and the achievement of better results, while the educational LMS platform focuses on offering complete and quality training for enrolled students.
We talk more about this topic throughout this post so that you can further differentiate the two types of LMS platform.
What is the LMS platform for?
We have said before that an LMS platform is used to virtually create a classroom environment, right?
However, for this to happen, it takes much more than a content sharing space.
The Learning Management System has some features that, in addition to replicating the ideal environment for learning, offer advantages for both students and those responsible for the content.
By using an LMS platform, students have flexible hours, which means they can access all available content when they can and want.
In addition, neither teachers nor students need to move for the transmission of knowledge to occur. Everything is done online, using the resources of the tool itself. You can study at home, at work, in transit, or even while traveling.
Another important aspect to be considered is economics.
Most of the time, classes offered virtually require fewer financial resources to make, which makes them cheaper both for those who produce them and for their buyers.
We also need to consider that, in this format, everything happens virtually: from enrollment to course completion, in the case of an educational LMS.
On the other hand, in the corporate sphere, it should serve to enable a positive experience virtually during training. And it is important that she also helps in the measurement of results and in the delivery of the necessary data for the organization of corporate training.
Thus, as we have already said, the LMS platform must have specific characteristics for each of the areas, and it is about them that we will talk next:
Educational LMS Platform
Being used by a teaching institution or by a freelance teacher, the LMS platform serves to:
- Create and publish course calendars;
- Send reminders and notices to students about deadlines, content publication, evaluation period, etc;
- Facilitate student enrollment;
- Intermediate the payment of classes;
- Share files such as articles, ebooks and audios;
- Store video classes;
- Establish the interaction between teacher and student;
- Also enable interaction between students;
- Conduct assessments and knowledge tests;
- Issue course completion certificates.
Corporate LMS platform
In general, the functionalities used in an educational LMS also serve for the corporate system.
The difference is in the course objectives, as you can see below:
- Train new employees;
- Provide strategic information to be accessed whenever necessary;
- Measure the results of the trainings;
- Measure employee engagement;
- Align employees to the objectives of the organization;
- Transmit the company culture;
- Keep professionals updated;
- Record employee participation;
- Facilitate content updating;
- Increase employee engagement.
Why are LMS platforms booming?
LMS platforms are increasingly in demand in universities, schools and companies.
But, in addition to these institutions, there is another public that is increasingly using learning management systems: online teachers who have created their own businesses.
Online courses are an excellent business opportunity, since thousands of students are choosing the Internet as the ideal medium to learn more about various topics.
Today courses related to health, sports, finance, marketing, gastronomy, personal development, lifestyle and many others are very popular.
That’s why countless entrepreneurs are taking advantage of the digital medium to share their knowledge and earn extra money – or even work exclusively with them.
Ramón, from our team at , tells you more about the subject in this video:
How do you choose an LMS platform?
We have seen so far that the LMS platform, or Learning Management System, follows the trends of a time when the way we share and consume content is constantly changing.
Nowadays, people prioritize everything that offers them mobility, practicality and efficient solutions to their problems.
Faced with this demand, companies began to adapt in order to provide customers with exactly what they are looking for.
That is why, today, it is possible to find several LMS platforms on the market and, often, people get lost when choosing the ideal system for their course or .
We are going to show what an LMS platform needs to have to offer the best possible experience for both users (students or employees) and those who offer the content (teachers and companies). Thus, at the end of this text, you will know exactly what to look for to host your content.
1. It is customizable
It is interesting that you have the visual identity of your brand, so that the client has a complete experience and associates the content with your company.
In corporate training it is also important to maintain the color pattern and include visual elements characteristic of the organization. In addition to serving as identification, this customization helps to convey a professional and consistent image.
Likewise, it is also essential to have the possibility to customize the operational details of the tool.
Therefore, before choosing the LMS platform, make sure that it allows you to select the functionalities according to your needs and add specific resources to your type of public, for example.
2. It has tools for your course
Keep in mind the offer of tools to improve your course.
As we have already pointed out before, it is necessary to replicate the physical learning environment in the virtual environment.
To do this, you need to have:
- Adequate environment to store and play video classes;
- Discussion forums, chat rooms or space for comments;
- Student assessment tools;
- Issuance of certificates, among other resources.
Each platform offers different instruments. That is why it is so important to know the options and choose the one that best meets the needs of your public and business.
3. It is safe
For the student to feel confident when paying for the course, it is essential that the LMS platform transmit security.
It is important to choose an LMS that is certified, reliable and has all the necessary resources to facilitate payment.
In addition to assuring the content provider that they will charge for the service, this also ensures that the customer is receiving the product they are purchasing.
The LMS platforms with security seals and well recommended in the market are the ideal ones to avoid problems and offer the best possible experience.
4. Support various content formats
It would be a waste to use the Internet to stream content and not take advantage of all the possibilities it offers.
A good LMS platform is one that supports various content formats, such as:
- Videos;
- Images;
- Texts;
- E-books;
- podcasts;
- Infographics, among others.
The more diversified the course, the less heavy it will be for the students.
The teacher can choose, for example, the format for most of the content, but also share complementary texts, articles or interesting images.
They can also be an alternative for those who want to reach a different audience, who need to consume content in transit, in waiting rooms or while doing other activities.
Therefore, before choosing the LMS platform, it is essential to check which options allow this diversity. Thus, you increase user engagement and improve knowledge absorption.
5. It is responsive
One of the biggest advantages of online teaching is allowing users to learn from wherever they are, be it on a computer, a tablet or even on the phone.
To ensure that this is possible, the LMS platform must, that is, adapt to all types of screens.
If the learner needs to access the content on a mobile device and cannot comfortably upload the images, download the documents, or read the material, the purpose of accessibility is completely lost.
6. It is simple and intuitive
Lastly, an LMS platform must be easy to use.
Despite being an increasingly well-known and used methodology, there are still many people who are reluctant to study through distance education. Among the reasons are the fear of not being able to use the platform properly, having difficulties accessing the content, not being able to interact with other students or not having…
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