What to look for when choosing a LMS

Quick tips to choose best LMS for your business

So now we know what a LMS is, and we have looked at some examples of online -as well as self-hosted- LMS packages. In the descriptions of the available software, we did not go into great depth about features however. We mentioned that Sakai has a package of tools/features that they consider standard for all modern LMS’s. From looking at the various features of the popular LMS’s, we can safely say that there are a few features that should just be present in any LMS system worth its salt.

You want to learn?
We will start by looking at what a LMS platform should have available for their learners. It should be an easy-to-use interface; you should be able to access it from a desktop, laptop, or mobile device, using passwords that you create and can change. You should also be able to navigate through the platform easily, being able to switch from lesson to lesson with ease. You should also be able to organize and -although not essential- personalize your platform. You should be able to group certain materials or resources together, label your files, and store them where you want them, with easy access to them if you need them, so that you can also find that it’s easy to download or access content that you need, and just as easily upload your work.

You should have a profile that you can create and modify, and be able to network with others using social networking models using this profile. Along with connecting through social networks, you should be able to collaborate with other students or teachers through groups, wikis, forums and chats.

The platform should have email capabilities or messaging options, so that you can contact other students, administrators, lecturers and technicians (if you experience a problem).

When you receive new messages, new material has been uploaded, or an assignment is due, you should receive notifications through this LMS package. This notification system should be linked to your calendar. The calendar should tell you when due dates are, when you have scheduled tests, meetings and personal activities. You should be able to track your progress, view your grades and test yourself.

I Do Not Want to Fight, I Want To Teach
For instructors, there are some things that are similar to what is necessary for students. Instructors don’t want to fight with a system to get what they want to accomplish, they need an easy-to-use system as well.

With that in mind, what you will therefore need, is to have connections to social network sites in order to communicate with students. As well as this, you should be able to email, chat, or send internal messages to the students and your colleagues through the LMS.

You need to be able to create coursework, upload it and modify it easily. You should also be able to remove it. You also need to be able to back-up your coursework. This also applies to tests and quizzes; you need to easily create them and post them for students. When you have added material, you need to organize it in such a way that students know which work fits under which topic.

You should be able to add content from any browser or external source. You need to be able to grade tests and provide feedback to students on the platform. You should also be able to provide an outline of the coursework/requirements for the course, as well as create specific outcomes/rubrics that fit your criteria.

You Wanna Be The Boss?
There is also room for administrators on the LMS system. These are often instructors however, but not always necessarily so. As an administrator, you should be able to do things as customize layouts, check statistics to see who is using the platform and for what, manage who has access permissions, update security, and change language settings. You can decide what language should be used, or you can allow students to decide in which language they would like to work.

The Final Word
There are several other features that should also be involved in a LMS, but these are the main ones in a nutshell. When you check software, they may have these features under different headings, but these are the essentials of LMS, organized in a user-friendly way.