The changes brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic brought with it the need for adaptation for all sectors of the economy, including education. In the case of online or remote classes, many institutions had to resort to digital platforms, or LMS Software to disseminate their content.
LMS is the acronym for Learning Management System Software , also known as Learning Management System Software or educational platform . This type of solution consists of software for managing, providing and monitoring virtual courses . That is, in this type of platform it is possible to insert video classes, classes in SCORM format (slides), activities, questionnaires, assessments and support materials for student access. This tool can be applied at all educational levels, and for the most diverse purposes defined by institutions and teachers, as long as latent needs are met.
Types And Functionalities Of An LMS
There are two main types of usage contexts for Learning Management System Software platforms, which are educational (object of analysis in this article) and corporate . When we talk about the purpose of use in the business environment, the objective is mainly to contribute to the training of employees, customers, suppliers and partners of the organization .
The main advantages of using this type of resource are cost reduction and time optimization . This is because, by providing the entire onboarding process, company presentation, areas, etc. in a platform, the professionals who would be responsible for this can be directed to more strategic activities.
Thus, people who need to have contact with that information do so in the time they prefer, without burdening the rest of the team, reducing the costs of these people’s efforts and optimizing everyone’s time.
From the point of view of educational use, the use of an LMS platform can be understood as an important tool for the digital transformation of institutions. As it is a digital technology, the LMS contributes to the literacy of both teachers and students in this sense.
The Main Features Available In An LMS Platform Are:
content management;
online classroom management;
tests and research;
communication channels (chat, videoconference, etc.);
forums for debates;
gamificação;
tarefas e checklists;
interface customization;
user support;
e-commerce (if there is a need to sell courses);
report generation.
It is important to note that not all LMS platforms have 100% of these listed features . Thus, it will be up to your institution to determine what is essential to meet your needs, and thus select the platform that addresses this. Learn more about what to consider in your choice below.
What To Consider To Choose The Ideal LMS For Your Institution
As we have seen, there are several possible functions within an LMS platform, and the choice is up to each institution based on its needs. Therefore, we will detail a little about what we see as primordial in the use by educational institutions .
Before any platform assessment, your institution must develop a medium to long-term strategic plan . It should include a careful analysis of where your institution is today, what the desired future development scenario is and how you intend to achieve it.
The second step is to map the financial availability for investment in this type of technology, and also in the training of professionals who will be involved in its use. LMS platforms tend to be easy to use, however, not all teachers are used to using them, and it may be necessary to instruct them.
With these definitions in mind, it will be easier to analyze the available LMS options and understand which one will best contribute to the designed objectives. After that, it is possible to make choices related to the functionalities of the LMS platform itself.
Content And Classroom Management
In this sense, the first point that we understand to be fundamental is content and classroom management . This type of resource is basic for any LMS, as it allows content to be made available and organized into different categories for presentation to students.
Good LMS Platform
A good LMS platform should provide easy organization and updating of available content , in addition to a friendly interface that is easy for users to understand. This even facilitates the use by teachers and other professionals involved in feeding the platform, optimizing their time.
A second essential aspect in choosing the ideal LMS for your institution is the robustness of the solution . This means understanding the management capacity of the different content formats, structure for carrying out tests, assessments and questionnaires that the solution offers. The more variety, the better for diversifying your institution’s learning process .
Performance Of Activities
At this point, the availability of gamification resources also enters , that is, the use of resources from the universe of games within the platform. The attribution of points according to the performance of activities, the creation of a podium of the most engaged students or those with the most hours of use of the platform, among other possibilities. These are formats that make the process more interesting for students and, therefore, contribute to their performance.
The last example that we want to bring Management here as to what you should analyze to choose the ideal platform for your institution is reporting . If performance metric is an important factor in the management of your school or university, having performance reports will be critical.
Through them, it is possible to monitor how the tool is being used by students Management, follow the delivery of activities by each user and understand their online behavior. This can bring valuable insights on how to further optimize the use of the platform and, thus, bring even better results for your institution Management.