How to Choose a Learning Management System

How to Choose a Learning Management

System

Presenter:Mehdi Roudakiwww.iuc.ac.ir

Agenda

• What is a Learning Management System

• Benefits of LMS• Types of LMS• Features of LMS• Major Criteria for Selecting a LMS• Steps in LMS Selection• Key Questions to Answer• Evaluation of Some LMSs• Request for proposal

E-Learning Components:

1.Content

1.Services

1.Infrastructure/Tools

Infrastructure/Tools

• Infrastructure and learning management tools include the learning environment and administrative tools used by the training manager.

• The learning environment and training management tools are commonly referred t as the “Learning Management System,” or LMS.

Software that:• Registers learners• Online catalogue and schedule• Delivers online courses• Tracks courses• Online assessment• Tracks scores• Records data from learners• Management reports• Bookmarks activities

What is a Learning Management

System?

Why do we need to manage

the Learning culture?

• To meet the Objectives

• To ensure that the Right People get the Right Development

• To provide improved Management Information

Benefits of LMS

• Availability - 24/7• Accessibility - home and office• Just in Time Training (JITT)• Guaranteed Quality of Training• Enhanced Student Motivation

Benefits of LMS - Cont.

• Constant monitoring• Management Information readily available

• Cost effective Training - can measure the ROI

• Opportunity to resell Training

• Testing and Assessment - linked to business objectives

Types of LMS

• Classroom Based Training

• Distance Learning

• On-line Training

Who provides LMS?

• Course developers:– Sometimes designed to support the vendor’s own

content– Can provide better integration between content and

LMS

• LMS vendors:– Almost all designed with open standards

• Custom Solutions:– Have one built for you by a systems integration form

• Build Your Own

Some Major Vendors

• DigitalThink• SABA• Docent• Pathlore• Isopia• Thinq• Learnframe• Lotus Learning Space• TrainerSoft

LMS Facts

• As LMS functionality has grown, so has the marketplace

• 140+ LMS Solutions on the Market

• 16,500 LMS Implementations (Worldwide) – 118 customers per vendor

• Extremely Fragmented Industry

LMS Facts (Cont.)

• No System has more than a 4% Market Share

• Some of them occupy defined niches in the market

• While others try to be all things to all people.

• Selecting a learning management infrastructure is one of the most strategic e-Learning decisions that companies will make.

• By first determining what needs to be managed, it’s much easier to find a system that responds to those needs.

Selection?

– registration– personal development– planning– assignment of courses– launch of courses– tracking of performance– testing and assessment

– monitoring– routing of students to

the right materials– course completion– management reports -

tailor to what you want– certification– dialogue with tutors– feedback

Features of LMS

Provides individuals and groups with:

A Typical Learning Management System (LMS) Feature Set

• Online grade book • Grade reporting tool (i.e. to allow students to

view grades) • Quiz/Survey development tool • Course website backup, download, & upload

facilities • Student account administration tools • Student group administration tools • Grader account administration tools • Student access tracking (i.e. how many news

articles have they posted/read, which pages have they accessed)

Faculty Tool Set Course Website Development and Management

Faculty Tool Set Course Website Development and

Management (Cont.)

• Webpage access tracking (i.e. how many students have accessed a page, when did each student access the page)

• Web-based file management • Page counters • Course website glossary building tool • Course website indexing system • Course announcements and calendar

administration tool


• Student self-evaluations • Student accounts for webpage publishing • Group work areas for collaborative webpage publishing • Course content annotation facility and bookmarks • Web-based email and discussion groups • Real-time chat rooms • Real-time white boards • Individual grade and progress status reports • Grade distribution status report (i.e. how many

students got 90 and above, etc.)

Students Tool Set


• Course website creation, duplication, and deletion

• Course website backups • Course website downloading and uploading • Course website statistics

– number of students enrolled in a course – file space used by a course website – number of hits on a course website – first and last access date

• Course website student account administration – Batch student account initialization and deletion – Batch course restoring

Administrator Tool Set


Major Criteria for Selecting a LMS

• Known Requirements • Unknown Future Requirements • Implement ability • Supportability • Cost

Implement ability Components

Implement ability is made up of the following components: – Vendor background – Software maturity – Technology maturity – Modifications – Third party implementer considerations – Implementation assistance from LMS

vendor – Quality – Documentation – Training

The best LMS system?

•# of learners? •How geographically disperse?•Using 3rd party e-learning libraries?•Tests/Exams?•Multi-Lingual Interface?•Competency Management?•Compliancy Issues?•Hosted or Locally Installed?•Cost?

Steps in LMS Selection

• Determining Goals and requirements (*)• Researching LMS Vendors

– Generate List of Critical Needs (10-20 only) (*)

– Generate Full List of Needs and Prioritize (*)• Narrowing Down Potential Vendors • Create and Send RFP’s to qualified

candidates• Preparing your Company for Change

Steps in LMS Selection (Cont.)

• Grade Responses • Conducting Final Vendor Presentations

and Selecting a Vendor • Negotiating the LMS Contract and

Getting Ready for Implementation

Define Your Objectives

• Business Objectives– Increase course completions by X%– Increase sales by X%– Increase employee retention by X%– Decrease training costs by X%

• Training Objectives– Provide recommended learning plans– Improve access to training resources

Common Requirements

• Various content sources– AICC/SCORM compliant content– Synchronous content (with scheduling)– Off-line materials

• Scalability– Growth of the user population over time

Common Requirements (cont.)

• Availability/Reliability– How often does the system go down

• Custom Reporting– You may have reporting needs that are not addressed by an off-the-shelf

package

• Skills & Competencies

Implementation Options:Site Installed

• Traditional software model• You supply the hardware, networking, IT

support, database, user support

• Advantages– Some IT departments prefer “behind-the-

firewall” solutions– You might get a more customized solution

Implementation Options:Site Installed (Cont.)

• Disadvantages– More coordination among departments– Maintenance and support staffing is ongoing– Deployment times can be longer that with outsourced solutions

(months longer!)

Implementation Options:Outsourced

• The developer of the application uses a partner to host the system for you

• Advantages– No need to procure any hardware or software– Expenditures can be extended over time (you

may need to “buy” the software up front)

Implementation Options:Outsourced (Cont.)

• Disadvantages– Reliability and performance will be the same as though you had

installed the software on your own systems – You may need to coordinate the hand-off from the LMS

developer

Implementation Options :

ASP• The application and hosting are provided by a single

vendor• The application is designed to support many customers

Implementation Options : ASP (Cont.)

• Advantages– Single-vendor solution means no confusion about

where to turn for service– You can get up and running faster than with other

solutions– Application is built for availability and reliability– May also be provided with other services (e.g.

courseware development)

• Disadvantages– You may need to live with fewer features

Costs for the total project

Cost Breakdown for Cost Breakdown for 10,000 user project with a 10,000 user project with a total cost of total cost of $3.8M$3.8M

1%1% Development toolsDevelopment tools

1%1% Content and data conversionContent and data conversion

3%3% Misc software, consulting, travel, training, etc.Misc software, consulting, travel, training, etc.

4%4% Network bandwidthNetwork bandwidth

8%8% Deployment, test, and integration staffDeployment, test, and integration staff

16% 16% Servers and networking hardwareServers and networking hardware

16% 16% Learning Management SystemLearning Management System

52% 52% Content DevelopmentContent Development

Source: www.brookwood.com

Produce a Business Plan

• Reduce high-level business and training goals to a feature list

• Business Plan should include– Feature List (RFP for vendors)– Project Objectives– ROI (Return on Investment)– Timelines for Implementation and Milestones– Itemization of Costs (one-time and ongoing)– Required Resources (e.g staff, systems)

Project Management

• Installing an LMS is an IT project• Recommend someone with project mgmt skills

Vendor Considerations

• Remember that LMS is only part of the solution so look for a complete solution– Off-the-shelf courseware integration– Content development– Course delivery system– Project management

• Completion Rates are critical

Vendor Considerations: Develop your project in

phases• LMS do lots of things

– Classroom instruction– Skills Management– Integrate courseware from various

vendors– Integrate delivery technologies– Management Reporting

• Neither you or your vendor can do all this at once so implement in phases

LMSFunctionality

Async training forA specific project withUser tracking

Integrate Legacy Courseware

CompetencyManagement

ILT/EventsScheduling

Product PhasesProduct PhasesII IIII IIIIII IVIV

Implementation Example

Vendor Considerations: Develop your project in

phases

What is the need for the LMS?

How will you measure success?

What is your potential ROI?

Who is the target audience?

What initial pilot groups can provide an early win?

Key Questions to Answer(1):

Who are your project stakeholders and what are their expectations? Who will be the key sponsor of this project??

What are your functional and non-functional requirements for the LMS?


What are the key user roles and their functional requirements?What are your technical requirements?Who manage the LMS within your organization?What are the phases for LMS implementation?Who will be on your LMS Selection Project Team?


RFP

I. BackgroundII. Scope of Work

Target AudienceContentDeliverables

III. Working RelationshipIV. Vendor ResponseV. Evaluation Criteria

Performance Capability Cost Completeness and Quality of Bid Response

Learning Management Systems

• Active LearnerResource Development Corporationwww.resourcedev.com

• AtrainESSyntriowww.syntrio.com

• Certification ImpactChannelwave Softwarewww.channelwave.com

• Conductor - Training Administration SoftwareSage Corporationwww.SageIsland.com, www.Conductit.com

• CorporateHorizon/ HorizonCentralBoniva Softwarewww.boniva.com


• DigitalThinkDigitalThink www.digitalthink.com

• Docent EnterpriseDocentwww.docent.com

• Edge InteractiveEdge Interactivewww.edgeinteractive.com

• Education DirectorResults Directwww.resultsdirect.com

• Elementk.ComElement Kwww.elementkpress.com


• Enterprise Learning Management ServicesEdcorwww.edcor.com

• ETrax Learning Management SystemIntegrated Performance Systemswww.ips-inc.com

• FlexTrainingOnLine Developmentwww.FlexTraining.com

• Geo Learning Management SystemGeoLearning.comwww.geolearning.com

• gForce CentralgForce Systemswww.gforce.com


• GoTrain.netGoTrain.net, LLCwww.gotrain.net

• Headlight LMSHeadlightwww.headlight.com

• How To Master Learning Management SystemInfoSource www.howtomaster.com

• icCampusicGlobal.comwww.icglobal.com

• ILMSISOPIA Interactive Networkwww.isopia.com


• IngeniumClick2learn.comwww.click2learn.com

• IntraLearnIntraLearn Software Corporationwww.intralearn.com

• IntranetUATCwww.profitfromlearning.com

• KnowBaseKnowBase Networkswww.knowbasenetworks.com

• KP2000KnowledgePlanetwww.knowledgeplanet.com


• FlexTraining SoftwareOnLine Developmentwww.FlexTraining.com

• Intellinex Learning Development SystemIntellinex LLCwww.intellinex.com

• Learning CommunityeSocrates.comwww.esocrates.com

• Learning Enginewww.lighteningseed.net

• LearningVistaGlobalLearningSystemswww.globallearningsystems.com


• Librix Performance Management SystemLIBRIX Learningwww.librix.com

• MaayaMaayawww.maaya.com

• Manager’s EdgeMentergywww.mentergy.com

• OnTrack For TrainingDKSystemswww.dksystems.com

• Pathlore Learning Management SystemPathlorewww.pathlore.com


• PC ComplianceRMS Systems, Incwww.rmssystems.com

• Pinnacle Learning ManagerLearnFramewww.learnframe.com

• Plateau Enterprise Learning Management SystemPlateau Systems, Ltdwww.plateausystems.com

• PROFISInterlynx Multimediawww.profisWeb.com

• Quest System Custom SolutionsKnowledge Anywherewww.knowledgeanywhere.com


• Saba Learning EnterpriseSABAwww.saba.com

• SIGALTechnomedia Trainingwww.technomedia.ca

• Strategic InteractiveStrategic Interactivewww.siWeb.com

• Syberworks www.syberworks.com

• TBK TrackerPlatte Canyon Multimedia Software Corporationwww.plattecanyon.com


• Teamscape Learning PortalTeamscapewww.teamscape.com

• TEDSTEDSwww.teds.com

• The Learning ManagerWorldwide Interactive Networkwww.tlmcorp.com, www.w-win.com

• ThinktanxViviancewww.viviance.com

• TopClassWBT Systemswww.wbtsystems.com


• Total Knowledge Management SystemGeneration21www.gen21.com

• TrainingDepartment.comTrainingDepartment.comwww.trainingdepartment.com

• TrainingOfficeNovasys Corporationwww.trainingoffice.com

• Training PartnerGeometrix Data Systems Incwww.trainingpartner2000.com

• THINQ TrainingServer LMSTHINQ Learning Solutionswww.thinq.com


• Training WizardGyrus Systemswww.gyrus.com

• TraccessTTGwww.built2learn.com/Products/Traccess.htm

• VCampusVCampuswww.vcampus.com

• Virtual Training AssistantRISCwww.risc-inc.com

• WBT ManagerIntegrity eLearningwww.ielearning.com


• WebMentor Enterprise ServerAvilar Technologieswww.avilar.com

• WebTrainWebTrain Services Pty Ltdwww.Webtrain.com.au

• YnotManageYnotLearnwww.ynotlearn.com

Free Learning Management Systems

• .LRN• MOODLE• Fle3• Edventure• LON-CAPA• Direct-ed• Kwel

Evaluation of Some LMSs

• BlackBoard– System– License (Commercial)– Technology– Content Management– Search– Personalization– Event Notification– Future Development


• Learning Engine– System– License (Commercial, Free

for Non-Profit Organizations)

– Technology– Content Management– Search– Personalization– Event Notification– Future Development


• WebCT– System– License (Commercial)– Technology– Content Management– Search– Personalization– Event Notification– Future Development


• Fle3– System– License (Free and Open

Source)– Technology– Content Management– Search– Personalization– Event Notification– Future Development


• Moodle– System– License (Free and Open

Source)– Technology– Content Management– Search– Personalization– Event Notification– Future Development

Summary

• ASP deployment is rapidly becoming the desired form of deployment

• Let your business and training objectives drive your decision

• LMS is not the total solution• Tracking of user progress should be

one of your goals

References

• www.Lguide.com• www.brandon-hall.com• www.learningcircuits.org• www.elementk.com• www.brookwood.com

http://www.lguide.com/

http://www.brandon-hall.com/

http://www.learningcircuits.org/

http://www.elementk.com/

http://www.brookwood.com/

How to Choose a Learning Management

System

Presenter:Mehdi Roudakiwww.iuc.ac.ir

مرکز تحقيقات آموزش های مجازیدانشگاه بين المللي چابهار

www.iuc.ac.ir

How to Choose a Learning Management System

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