When looking to integrate an LMS to your e-learning programme, we advise you take out time to clearly define your E-learning goals, and answer certain core questions:
- What do I want the LMS to do for my E-learning platform?
- Does it create a great user experience for learners and admins?
- Does it have the features required to deliver effective training?
- What additional features will be required?
- What do my learners prefer?
- Is support on deck?
Different features matter more to different E-learners, in defining what matters more to your platform, the above questions will help. For the top features that every E-learning platform should have, we’ve curated a list for you:
1. Intuitive User Interface
All the above-named LMS features may be rendered ineffective if you don’t know how to utilize the LMS. Having a learner-friendly platform is key to creating a great learner experience. You’d want them to focus on training, rather than learning how to use the LMS. A good LMS makes it easy to access training and is responsive on any device. The Learning Management System should have an intuitive user interface that’s easy to use. For example, dashboards that give you a general overview of your online training course. This is one of the key LMS features to look for.
2. Course management
This is the main function of every LMS so it’ll be a shame if it’s unavailable. However, you might want to look at the type of course creation feature available. You should make sure that you can easily deliver course content to your learners in a simple, straightforward manner. A great LMS lets you drag, drop, and arrange content into place, making it easy to create courses. On top of this, you need to be able to use multiple content formats; PDFs, slides, videos, and audios as available on KlasConnect.
3. Exams
An LMS Exams feature allows you to test learners’ knowledge and measure progress. From multiple choice to german questions and essays, you’ll be able to experiment with different question types to test your learners. This feature should also allow automated corrections so that learners know how they performed without having to wait forever; this is great for immediate self-reflection and saves instructors time.
4. Surveys
Feedbacks are important for business growth. Gathering important feedback and evaluating learner’s experience is best done within an LMS. Periodically checking in with learners to grasp if knowledge is being obtained and how courses can be improved is vital to keeping your platform engaging and up-to-date. An in app survey feature, enables you to capture important feedback and suggestions right inside of a course, and use reports to make it even better.
5. Configurable user roles & permissions
Every platform needs a structure and there is a need to differentiate between a teacher and a learner. That’s why user roles are important. Not only do they help define a structure and hierarchy, they allow you to easily create different user roles and groups to make training management much more clearer. A learning platform might need an Adnmin, instructor and a learner role or more, you may want to replicate that structure in your learning platform. The benefit of using role types is that you can automate your user management by instantly assigning linatructors to courses or learning paths based on their responsibilities. It not only enables you to effectively delegate tasks, but it ensures that each user doesn’t get overwhelmed by unnecessary options that do not necessarily relate to them, allowing them to focus on the task at hand.
6. Notifications & Reminders
This feature is crucial because it appears at the right time to give us the push we need to complete a task, and that’s exactly what every notification and reminder is great for. Not only do they help users stay on top of training activities, but they reduce complexity of announcements and news by allowing you to set up automated alerts. Once set up, The alerts come in automatically ,providing you with peace of mind that learners will know when it’s time for a class, test, submission deadline or exam.
7. Security
It goes without saying the protection and security of your company’s and your learners’ information should always be the #1 priority when choosing an LMS. So, it’s crucial that you look for an LMS with advanced safety protocols, and that they meet the industry standards for cloud security and data privacy. You may inquire about how your data is being used or protected.
8. Reliability
An LMS that is famous for frequent service interruptions and several maintenance schedules is probably unreliable and will not give you the best return on investment. Is the uptime record reliable enough to guarantee that your learners will have no issues accessing courses or completing their training.
9. Brand Integration
An LMS that allows you to integrate your logo, color scheme, and other essential branding elements is always a great option. It is essential that your icons and watermarks are being seen as this helps to accurately convey your brand image through your training materials.
10. Social Learning
Can the LMS handle peer-to-peer interactions? A lot of beneficial learning opportunities come from peer-based resources, such as online discussions, group collaboration projects, and other collaborative activities. If an LMS platform does not have an interactive chat box, you may want to reconsider because we know that the language of millennials is social. Like so much of what we do everyday, learning is social, and your LMS should include features that help your students learn from one another. This not only enhances the learning process, but is a great way to reduce strain on your instructors. By adding messaging boards and social learning features, your students can ask and answer questions in a forum setting. The best way to show your understanding of a topic is by teaching it, so let your students teach each other.
11. Responsive Design
- Will the online training course be accessible on any device?
- Can it be downloaded for when there’s no internet access?
A truly effective LMS should be responsive and multiplatform-friendly. Likewise, learners can get the information they need anytime, anywhere, whether they prefer PCs or the latest smartphones. Furthermore, everyone should be able to enjoy the same online training experience and reap the same rewards. This level of flexibility increases course uptake as it enables learners to choose how, when and where they want to learn
12. Support Services
Is the LMS vendor available for support? Are you able to reach them via email when you encounter an issue? Or are their support services limited to an online FAQ? If there’s any doubt, ask the LMS vendor directly about the assistance they offer after you purchase the tool. They may be quick to answer emails and chat over the phone beforehand, but will they extend the same attention once you’ve invested in the software?
Building an E-learning platform takes planning and care. Make sure you set SMART goals and pick a software that has all the features you need to build and maintain your program. So, if you’re looking for an LMS that ticks all the boxes on this checklist, check out KlasConnect LMS.
We offer a free demo session which you can request here. You can also reach out to us on klasconnect@cyberfleetng.com or +234 907 502 6909 for more enquiries.