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So, you are the training manager of your company and you think you know what a learning management system is. Well… you may be knowing a part of it (… and we don’t deny that). The bigger problem is, everyone out there is thinking different things. So, is LMS an elearning platform? A courses recording system? A course authoring tool? A competency management portal? A virtual classroom? Gamified learning method? And the like…! We say, an LMS is all these things and much more, but rarely is! In simple terms, it is software platform used to plan, organise, implement and control aspects of the online learning process.
This write-up throws light on the ways in which an LMS can go about supporting a myriad of functions in a metaphorical day of the training department. Let’s look at what an LMS goes through in a typical day, while being under the long hard look of the training manager –
Yes, it is! In the life of training manager, it definitely is! Luminaries of the 21st century, for example John Chambers, CEO of Cisco, comments ‘the biggest growth in the Internet, and the area that will prove to be one of the biggest agents of change, will be e-learning’. The training manager looks at this statement on the internet and thinks about how he could contribute his knowledge to back John Chambers’ statement.
He thinks about using an LMS to support all the training processes and to match the learner’s needs to what’s available in the incredibly complex and confusing training environment of the organization. Way off? Yes, because he’s comparing apples with pears. What about the pressure? It’s already soaring!
Alright, the LMS is logical, hardworking and yet smart enough to start with the right tasks at the right time. The training manager starts by defining competency frameworks across his organisation and assigning the learners the designated courses. Then, it’s the LMS who takes it from there. It basically records these frameworks and the assigned courses in a systematic way, so that – later, the training manager can use it as the basis for curriculum planning and the analysis of training and developmental needs.
Besides competency based course assigning, our superhero software, the LMS, also assigns courses based on the qualifications and certifications obtained by the learner. In some cases, re-training and recertifications, required on the part of a learner/employee needs to be issued on a regular basis. Hence, the training manager’s favourite software, the LMS, acts on it to ensure employees are informed of their obligations and are pointed to take the appropriate learning resources.
Lunch time, but the work must go on! For the training manager to do the training needs analysis, he should have enough information to understand and measure the learning/skills gap. This gap is basically the difference between what the job requires and what the person can offer.
The savior platform LMS, comes to the rescue again. It compares an individual’s profile with that of their current job, and then compares the same individual’s profile to the job which they aspire to attain. This comparison is typically internal i.e. within the organisation, across departments. This helps in identifying the learning gaps that need to be filled and eventually in assigning them the courses. On the other hand, it also helps in identifying the individuals best matched to the particular job requirements.
With the online course authoring tool at hand, LMS will be able to develop online courses for the employees/learners. The training manager simply uses Paradiso Composer, an online course authoring tool that helps him develop SCORM compliant courses within minutes.
Our training manager has to leave and is hushing things! About the learners, we would say anyone who has used Google will know, it’s next to useless to be presented with a listing of hundreds of items that match our criteria. Here, an LMS pitches in and narrows down the search for the right learning material to reach the right learner by acting as a filter. It administers a more planned approach by defining learning paths. Learning paths helps in assigning courses directly to individuals or groups. It selects the right combination of resources by sequencing selected resources sensibly. This recording of the sequence is nothing, but devising a learning path.
It’s getting late, our training manager needs to leave for home. But, he is staying back to ensure he checks on how the e-learners are doing. His beloved LMS helps in tracking the progress of the administrators, students, managers and tutors. It keeps him up-to-date about about who’s taken what course, when did they take it, how many of the courses did they complete etc.
The LMS also tells the training manager information on if the learning taken was online, when and for how long were the learners logged in, etc. It gives him the test scores, usage – i.e bums on seats, measures completion and all other vital reporting information, served up on a plate.
It’s been a long day for the training manager, but the LMS never stops working. While the training manager recovers at home from a long day’s work, the international employees of the organization are busy accessing learning on an anytime, anywhere basis… (credits the awesome LMS)! The best part? The training manager needn’t worry because the records will be there for him to look at in the morning. On the other hand, it provides other multiform services like providing a wait-listing service for classroom events, obtaining learning course approvals electronically, selling courses online, taking payments, providing a range of payment options, processing payments, enrolling users, assign the purchased courses and much more.
So you see, the LMS is a training manager’s best buddy! The only catch is in selecting the right LMS suited to the needs of the organization. We’d say, look out for a value-added LMS that gives the most bang for your buck in a reasonable time and at a reasonable cost, without sacrificing the opportunity to add more features later.
Contact us Now! And our LMS experts will tell you why Paradiso LMS is the best LMS you could rely upon!
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