Learning Management Systems LMS :
Training process management systems: Learning Management Systems
The growing tendency to perceive training as a critical element in increasing the company’s competitiveness causes a huge increase in all kinds of training products that must be managed. Creating professional development paths means that at each stage of its implementation, it is necessary to precisely adapt the training product to the current and target (expected) competences of the trainee. LMS (Learning Management Systems) was created in order to effectively manage the above mentioned.
Module content
The module deals with training process management systems. It highlights the basic functionality of LMS and emphasizes the distinction between their functionality and training content management systems. The lesson puts particular emphasis on the relationship of the above-mentioned systems with the business goals of the organization. It highlights the dependency that suggests applying solutions based on needs: before investing in applications, ask if the problems it solves are problems that you care about at all.
Defining the educational purpose of the module
The educational goal of the module is to present the functionality of training process management systems (LMS), and thus to convey the semantic difference that separates them from content management systems (LCMS).
What is LMS?
LMS is a system that automates the administration, conducting and reporting the effects of e-learning training. More specifically, the LMS functionalities could be divided into the following groups:
a) LMS management functions:
user management;
management of courses and lessons;
resource management (lecture halls, projectors, etc.);
importing and playing lessons in various formats;
b) Features tracking the LMS learning process:
registration of the educational process individually for each user;
tracking and verifying user progress;
reporting of learning outcomes;
supervision over the activities of teachers (trainers);
monitoring user behavior and satisfaction during education;
c) Additional functions of the LMS system:
communication tools (e-mail, discussion forum, chat);
organization of synchronous classes;
personalization of the interface on user pages;
integration with other systems, services and databases;
LMS vs LCMS?
It is common for the acronyms LMS and LCMS to be used interchangeably. Nevertheless, they semantically mean something else. This paragraph is devoted to highlighting this ‘slight’ difference.
What is LCMS?
By the term LCMS (Learning Content Management System) we understand the system used to manage content (content, essence), that is the content of the training. The LCMS functionality includes everything related to the effective delivery of training to users. According to the definition of IDC (www.idc.com), LCMS is a system that is used to create, store, combine and deliver in the form of personalized e-learning training.
Personalization is the process of adjusting a product to the expectations of a specific user. Adjusting the product to the unique needs of individual users in order to increase the effectiveness of the training, i.e. to achieve the goal of acquiring appropriate competences provided by the training. The user’s needs are usually derived from his experience, current knowledge, position / function or habits.
LCMS helps you create, use, locate, deliver, manage and improve training content. Content is typically managed in a centralized archive in the form of small, self-describing, identifiable items / objects. LCMS is able to locate and deliver to the end user an individual training unit to cover a single task.
The advanced form of LCMS includes functionality to control the interaction of the learner with course objects and rely on this information to deliver a highly personalized learning path.
What is LMS?
LMS (ang. Learning Management System) provides a single point of access to a variety of training resources. It administers the curriculum and offers incredible opportunities in the field of Human Resources management. The task of the LMS is to match the available training with the competence shortages of employees. LMS is to identify which employees should supplement their knowledge and offer them appropriate training, be it e-learning, classic or blended learning. LMS also supports management in the field of completing certain formalities: sending an appropriate form, obtaining a training permit from authorized persons, checking whether the knowledge possessed by the interested person is at the minimum level, enabling participation in the selected training, etc.
As soon as the training is completed, the LMS should summarize the obtained result, or possibly send it to authorized persons (HR department or the immediate supervisor of the learner). LMS can also create a test summarizing participation in the training or propose next steps as part of the employee’s career path.
