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| Home > What is e-Learning > Development and Management |
Learning Management Systems
A Learning Management System (LMS) manages the process of learning. The marketplace offers hundreds of different LMS products priced from thousands to millions of US dollars. All LMS products manage learners, provide reports, and manage access to self-paced courses and/or instructor-led courses. Some LMS products also manage one or more of these:
- Administration
- Groups (i.e. organizations within a company, jobs, geographical, working groups)
- Administrative permissions (who can access data, who can perform certain functions)
- Training management
- Scheduling and access to virtual classes
- Creation of blended learning
- Assignment of training based on certification requirements
- Authoring
- Online sales of courses
- Employee management
- Skill assessment
- Assignment of training based on skills
- Performance reviews
- Recruiting
- Succession management
Selecting the right LMS for your organization depends on your business needs, budget, and IT capabilities.
| Business Needs | Types of Organizations | Vendors |
|---|---|---|
| Deliver self-paced courses | Small and mid-sized companies, associations, sales groups | e-Learning Consulting |
| Manage all types of training | Mid-sized and large companies | Meridian |
| Training and Performance Management | Large companies |
Learning Content Management Systems
A Learning Content Management System (LCMS) supports team-based development of self-paced courses. An LCMS typically provides:
- A library of media elements
- Templates
- Development tools (check-in/check-out, version control)
- Project management tools (assignment, completion reports)
- Quality assurance tools (reviews, approvals, bug tracking)
Knowledge Management
Knowledge management systems provide direct support for employees as they do their job. Many types of systems are referred to as knowledge management systems including:
- Document Management
- Knowledge capture
- Information portals
- Search tools