What is a learning management system?

A learning management system (LMS) is an essential tool used by learning and development (L&D) teams. It offers insights into learner engagement, and answers key questions to delivering effective workplace learning.

A learning management system (LMS) is a popular, proven solution for many businesses looking to upskill their employees and fill any knowledge gaps, with Business Wire predicting that the market is set to increase from $15.77 billion in 2022, to $29.35 billion in 2026 as more and more businesses continue to adopt LMS platforms.

Heavily influenced by learning and development (L&D) teams, LMSs offer a whole host of benefits including the ability to assign mandatory training content, create learning journeys for individuals or groups, and track progress towards learning goals.

But what exactly is a learning management system, and what can it do for a business? Let’s find out.

What is a learning management system?

A learning management system (LMS) is a platform that hosts, delivers, and tracks training materials.

They work by recording the achievements and completion of learning content for each employee and can help identify any skills gaps to build a stronger, more collaborative workforce.

What do learning management systems do?

With an LMS, L&D teams can create content by uploading files, videos, podcasts, webinars, PDFs, SCORM files, images, text files, or article links. This content can then be grouped into courses, then assigned to individuals, groups of learners or even embedded into Zoom or Teams meetings for live training sessions, helping to keep all your learning in one platform.

But the uses for an LMS do not stop there. They can also help with business compliance too, as admins are able to pre-schedule regulatory and mandatory training across an entire organisation, always ensuring that all employees are up to date with the latest requirements.

What are the 6 key features of a learning management system?

Typically, an L&D team would be responsible for the daily admin of an LMS, as they would be able to upload, schedule, curate and assign relevant training materials to each employee.

For L&D teams, the key features of an LMS are that it allows them to automate time consuming tasks through one collaborative online solution which can be accessed by any learner across a business, at any time. In turn, this leaves L&D teams confident that the data analysed by the LMS is accurate and reflects the exact needs of each learner in real time.

These features include:

• Managing users and roles: where admins can assign roles to individuals, controlling who has access to different content, platform features and levels of administration.
• Assessments: these can be created and assigned to learners, who then complete and submit the assigned training back through the LMS. They’re very easy to adapt, and question types can vary from multiple choice to free text, true or false, complete the blanks, and much more.
• Learner feedback: where learners can feedback to both their admins and peers. This not only helps share knowledge but also offers insight and potential ways the learning experience can be improved.
• Social features: LMSs can provide notifications just like traditional mobile phone apps, and they also give the learner chance to leave comments, encourage collaborative learning and share knowledge. Social features can also help with learner engagement and course completion too, as they act as gentle reminders to keep the learning pace going.
• Reporting and analytics: where admins can track learner progress by reporting on key metrics such as completion rate, success, and attendance. This then helps admins understand any knowledge gaps within an organisation and build upskilling plans to fill them.

Why should you choose a learning management system?

According to the EY 2021 Work Reimagined Employee Survey, 90% of employees say that they want flexibility in when and where they learn, and Statista highlight that the use of technology-assisted teaching has grown in popularity over the past five years, with 71% of companies today using technologically assisted teaching such as online training courses.

For an LMS, its fully responsive design which can be accessed through a desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile, an LMS addresses this directly, as it provides a seamless user experience across different devices so learners are no longer confined to learning during working hours or in a classroom.

It gives people the freedom to learn when it suits them most, and offers workplace learning in a much more modern, flexible approach, through whichever time, pace or device suits them best.

Learning management systems from BuildEmpire

As a Platinum Alliance Partner, BuildEmpire utilises the Totara platform as the strong and scalable foundation for each unique LMS we build.

Together, we’re here to become an intuitive extension of your business, and we will work with you to build an engaging learning environment that fits your needs today, and in the future. Then, through training and ongoing support, we will ensure you and your learners always get the most out of it.

Totara is the UK’s leading learning management system platform.