{"id":134,"date":"2018-08-08T13:20:01","date_gmt":"2018-08-08T13:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adaptiveu.io\/resources\/?p=134"},"modified":"2019-08-12T11:18:57","modified_gmt":"2019-08-12T11:18:57","slug":"what-is-an-lms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adaptiveu.io\/resources\/articles\/what-is-an-lms\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an LMS?"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n

What is an LMS?<\/h1>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

<\/p>

<\/p><\/fieldset><\/form>

<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n
<\/div>

What is an LMS? It’s a term you may have heard in passing at the office, or seen being bandied around online.\u00a0<\/span>There are hundreds of discussions about it on the Q&A forum Quora<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n

With that level of chatter, you might think you should know what an LMS is by now. Well, there\u2019s every chance you do. You may even have used one already. Maybe you haven\u2019t realized because no one has taken the time to explain plainly and simply what an LMS is.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s tackle the acronym first. <\/span><\/p>\n

What does \u2018LMS\u2019 mean?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

LMS stands for Learning Management System, and it does what is says. It\u2019s a system you can use to manage your organization\u2019s learning. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you <\/span>Google the definition<\/span><\/a>, you\u2019ll discover that \u201ca learning management system (LMS) is a software application or Web-based technology used to plan, implement, and assess a specific learning process\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

In simpler terms, an LMS is software you can use to deliver information to the people in your organisation who need it. <\/span><\/p>\n

That might be sharing health and safety training with workers on a building site. Maybe it’s delivering a module to a class of college students. It could be any other combination where you have important information and need an easy way for a specific audience to access it. <\/span><\/p>\n

How does an LMS work?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

LMSs are generally divided into two categories, \u2018installation\u2019 and \u2018cloud-based\u2019. Each of these has their own unique characteristics.<\/span><\/p>\n

An <\/span>installation LMS<\/b> is hosted locally. That means once you download the software, it then\u00a0 lives on your computer. <\/span><\/p>\n

Buying an installation LMS typically\u00a0involves paying an up-front fee. That’s then followed by further payment, usually once a year, to maintain your license to use the product.<\/p>\n

The advantage of a locally hosted LMS is that you have less chance of encountering security issues. On the other hand, once you download an intallation LMS, you automatically become responsible for its upkeep. That include upgrades and handling any tech issues. <\/span><\/p>\n

A <\/span>cloud-based LMS<\/b> is hosted online by the vendor. You access by typing a username and password into the LMS website.<\/span><\/p>\n

With an online LMS, you generally need an internet connection to access your training material. That said, some allow the user to download content and work offline. <\/span><\/p>\n

You can enjoy full use of a web-based online LMS in exchange for a monthly fee. The size of that fee depends on the number of users and features you require. It will cover automatic updates, platform maintenance, and tech troubleshooting. That leaves you free to focus on training. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Who uses an LMS?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are certain organizations who have traditionally had greater need for an LMS than others. These include educational institutions, HR professionals delivering training, and technology companies staying ahead of the latest developments. <\/span><\/p>\n

Really, though, any organization with a need to deliver learning could benefit from using a Learning Management System. An LMS can help you satisfy a variety of training needs:<\/span><\/p>\n