When the pandemic hit and the lockdown happened, educators and students alike were struggling with remote and hybrid learning models. This was because many had to switch their strategy last minute and were unsure how to utilize different online software. Since then, educators and employers alike have found online software and tools to help make remote and hybrid learning easier.
What Is an LMS?
LMS stands for learning management system. LMS software is used to administer, document, track, report, automate, and deliver online educational courses, training programs, and any other learning and development programs.
These systems were created for the purpose of broadening education and making it easier for educators, employers, employees, and students to access. Now that LMS has become more popular, it’s important to know the role it plays in a remote or hybrid education model. It’s also important to know the many benefits that instructors can get out of using LMS.
Necessary Features for Remote Learning
LMS can take over a number of different roles and it’s important to know what your LMS can do. Knowing, in-depth, the different features your LMS has can help you make informed decisions and get the most use out of your software. Here, we’ll discuss the best LMS features you’ll want to use to enhance the user’s experience with remote learning.
Course Creation and Management
Not all LMS platforms have built-in course creation/management features. With those LMS platforms, you’d have to create your content and courses on a separate platform and upload it to the LMS. Going this route requires a lot of time and can become a hassle. Uploads could malfunction, the different videos or pictures you want to use could be incompatible, and it just feels like a hassle. Instead, you can find LMS platforms that have built-in content creation and management, that way you can create and upload your courses all in the same place.
Mobile Learning
The beneficial part of remote learning is that it can be done almost anywhere with a wifi or cellular data connection. When your LMS allows for mobile learning, this can ensure that the students or employees can get their learning done whenever they want to. This also promotes accessibility as not everyone has access to laptops or desktops to get the necessary training done.
Asynchronous Learning
Continuing the idea of accessibility and allowing your students or employees freedom is asynchronous learning. With this utilized within your courses and LMS, the users can go through the courses, materials, and training videos on their own time. This is easier for most users compared to having to attend a lecture or work with someone in person.
Hybrid Learning
What about those individuals who want to attend lectures or learn new things by being on-site? By offering hybrid learning, you can allow the users to set up a learning schedule that works best for them that integrates in-person, online, and even virtual learning like Zoom meetings.
Custom Assessments
You’ll want to have an LMS that allows you to make assessments based on the courses you created. Assessments measure the user’s knowledge of the skills they just learned. Obviously, in an educational course, you’ll want to have tests for grades. In a work setting, you want to ensure that your employees actually retained the information they were trained on. Having assessments with a required score will prevent employees from moving on to future courses until they passed the previous ones.
Reporting and Dashboards
Your LMS should have reporting systems and dashboards that administrators and managers can access. These features can show you the participation, completion, and general performance of the users. You can customize your dashboard to include the analytics you prefer to see when you first log in, and exclude anything you feel is unnecessary to you.
The Benefits of LMS in Remote and Hybrid Education
Easy Communication
Depending on your LMS and what features you implement, there are so many ways for you to communicate with the users. Whether it’s through discussion forums, instant chat messages, or just email, you’ll be able to ask and answer questions quickly and easily.
Time Management
Some forms of training and lectures can take hours or even days to complete. However, when you give the user the freedom to control how much they learn in a day, this can make the process quicker. They’re able to learn in a way that works best for them and they aren’t limited to time constraints of lectures or in-person training. This allows the users to get through courses and modules faster since they’ll be able to learn wherever and whenever they’d like.
Data Collection
Your LMS platform will have all the necessary data on your users in one place. In a data-driven world, being able to see your users’ demographic information can help you with future marketing strategies. Additionally, your LMS will make collecting data much easier. Upon registering for the courses/training, they’ll input any data you require of them.
Personalization
Being able to fully customize your LMS to fit your needs can make the remote/hybrid learning experience better for you and your users. Being able to new elements, create the courses yourself, and so many other personalization features can help you get the most out of your LMS. It can also help your users get the most out of their learning experience.
Efficiency
Having remote/hybrid learning models in today’s world allows learning on the go. Your users can learn about new topics virtually anywhere, making it easier for them to get through learning courses and modules faster. It’s also beneficial as the creator, as you can access your LMS and check analytics just as easily.
