By now, we all know that the traditional way of teaching is ineffective. Having to follow a schedule and passively listen to lecture makes learners lose their attention and doze off. However, the digital age enabled a new form of learning, so today we have numerous education learning management systems to help us study better and more efficiently than ever before.
Nevertheless, we cannot entirely erase tradition from the picture. But the trick is to enhance the content knowledge and engage students by thinking outside the box. After all, they should be prepared for the real world and problems that go with it, so the content has to possess a greater value.
The LMS appeared as the perfect solution that combines the best of both worlds to motivate learners via creativity. And this system actually got a recognition for being the best, since its usage applies to all areas, including the business.
Why Do We Need Creativity in Learning?
There is a gap between teaching values, lectures in practice, and what is thought. It is crucial for learners to have a stimulating learning environment to increase knowledge retention and raise their interest. Hence, what is better than creativity to get their juices going and make them into independent thinkers?
One thing needs to be clear when talking about creativity, that doesn’t mean only fun and play, but gaining value and learning through interactive content. While sitting behind a desk and staring at long pages of a book will not do anything more than making them feel bored; interesting materials, discussions, and questions will certainly give people a much-needed boost of energy.
Basically, stimulating activities create a desire to continue with the exploration of the topic. But this factor solely lies in the hands of a teacher and the creativity he or she brings to the learning environment. And only an instructor who is interested and creative enough to expand the learner’s knowledge succeeds in creating interactive content, as well as engaging students in a creative exchange of ideas.
Learning Management System Features
According to predictions, the LMS market will grow to an astonishing $15. 72 billion by 2021. Moreover, by the end of this year, a whole 98% of organizations will use video-based programs as a form of strategic employee training.
Talking about strategies, there has to be a reason why the education learning management system is in such demand. Well, this online software is the ideal learning approach because it allows you to plan, develop, and access a particular learning practice. Not only does this system help with documentation and administration, but it also records, tracks, and maintains an online collaboration.
All over the world, companies and colleges use this system to better deliver the required knowledge. In addition, with the use of LMS software, various organizations can easily keep track of learners, make assessments, make reports, analyze skill gaps, improve classroom teaching, and enhance collaboration and sharing.
LMS Learning Creativity
Just like in the traditional classroom, the system has activities which are scheduled in a calendar accessible to both teachers and learners. The difference is that learners don’t have to come to the actual classroom because they can learn at their own pace and from any location. Yes, they can access the course anytime, anywhere via laptop, tablet, or mobile. With less pressure, the engagement blooms.
Additional learning advantage is the training motivation. Learning management software offers different learning approaches anyone can use to create diversity in learning. Meaning, the course developers can even use gamification as a form of learning via games, which also heightens the competition in learning.
By comparing scores, learners feel encouraged to perform better, while teachers get an insight into their skills and talents. The interactive learning environment through online tools provides real-time answers and shows learners what they need to work on to better comprehend the content. Likewise, if they need clarification on the subject, they can always post a question on a mutual dashboard or other online collaborative platforms.
The learning material is always safe on cloud-based learning management software, so the risk of losing data is diminished. And the access to the content is unlimited, hence, the audience can always use them to perfect their skills.
On the other hand, LMS is a more personalized way of learning. It single-handedly targets a different type of learners and unites them into one large learning entity. Whether old or new to the system, the software tracks and records each individual’s performance. Therefore, the instructors and managers can use this information to give the users the best reports and feedbacks, as well as to create thorough analyses of any gap in knowledge needed to be filled with useful LMS material.
Those wondering just how successful a learning management system is, the statistics show that LMS learning has higher retention rates (21%) and increased employee productivity (37%). Due to the simplified learning process and techniques the software provides, creativity is increased and costs are cut down. In fact, saving time on choosing modern instead of classical training automatically lowers learning expenses. Think about the facilities, trainers, travel costs and now compare this with learning on-the-go. It is a win-win situation!
Questions you should be asking your prospective LMS vendor
Selecting the right LMS tool is inherently difficult. You are required to pick something that ticks all the necessary feature checkboxes, gets along with your existing infrastructure, offers top class support options, meets your budget and last but not the least, your team will actually like to use.
Feeling bewildered? Don’t be. The secret lies in asking the right questions. Speaking from my own personal experience, these below mentioned questions will help you choose the best LMS that meets all your needs.
- What kind of skill level my LMS administrators would need to handle the tool?
- What are the options available to host the LMS(SaaS or on-premise)?
- What kind of training material I can upload(SCORM/Tin Can compliant courses, word docs, PDF, PPTs, audio, videos, infographics etc)?
- Can I use the LMS to support classroom teaching?
- Can I generate user & group specific reports to make training more effective?
- Is it possible to upload old courses data into the LMS?
- Can I provide an online course/training completion certificate to learners?
- Can I integrate the LMS with other platforms like CRM, email marketing and HR software?
- How much time is required to setup the LMS?
- Can I use the LMS to sell courses online?
- How often do you update the LMS & what support services do you offer?
Conclusion
To sum up, learning management software puts the fun back in education. Learners can surely use a bit of healthy gaming competition while rapidly covering the course information. Creativity hides in visual aids, learning games, valuable real-time information, and student-to-student collaboration.
Putting it simply, LMS equals creative and effective education, so keep this in mind the next time you wake up with a half-read book and an alarm reminding you it’s time to go to your scheduled training session.