NEWS - 16/07/2010
Learning Management Systems: Five Questions to Ask
Learning management systems (LMS) are at the heart of all e learning and elearning authoring tools.
Whether an SME or a large multi-national organisation, choosing the right Learning Management System for your online training needs is one of the single most important aspects – ask yourself these five questions before making a decision on an effective LMS for your needs.
What exactly are you looking for? Your elearning requirements should be well thought out and you should have an idea of the elements that you need to be included in your Learning Management System. For example, assessments, tools, interactive quizzes and video are all easy to include thanks to new rapid authoring tools.
What content do you need to be included? Often the Learning Management Systems are just part of the elearning journey and additional training material is required. Working with a vendor that can aid you in the supply of relevant, tailored elearning content, as well as supply a good Learning Management System can help.
Will you host the LMS yourself? This is a really important question as if you decide to operate it yourself; back up support is likely to not be available. You will be responsible for you will need to installing, maintaining and ensuring all data is backed up: can your IT Department handle the additional work?
What support and training does the vendor offer? If you decide against hosting and managing the Learning Management System in house, find out what support your vendor offers.
Am I using the right tool for the job in hand? It is still important to use the right tool for the job in hand - regardless of the cost. Use too cheap a tool and you could then get locked in to the tool and stuck with it if it doesn’t do the job that you want it to do. Ensuring then that you are working with a vendor capable of supplying you with the support and tools that you need to train your staff effectively is really important.
Opt for high quality rather than the cheapest option when it comes to choosing your relevant elearning system and learning management system. Also remember that good customer service and expert advice will be worth the investment in the long run.
As a training consultancy and eLearning solutions provider Growth Engineering work with clients to develop their own web based learning material and create it in an eLearning style and format that suits company brand values and budget.
Find out more about elearning services with Growth Engineering. Telephone: 01753 840 331, Email: info@growthengineering.co.uk