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LMS For Training Companies - Then & Now www.upsidelearning.com An Upside Learning eBook

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LMS For Training Companies - Then & Now

www.upsidelearning.com

An Upside Learning eBook

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LMS For Training Companies -

Then & Now

Table Of Contents

table of contents

Chapter 1

Moving Towards eLearning 3

Chapter 1.1

Why Training Providers Adopted eLearning 5

Chapter 2

Blended Learning – A Viable Option 14

Chapter 3

Role Of LMS In Training Companies - Then 16

Chapter 4

Role of LMS In Training Companies – Now 30

Chapter 5

Looking Into The Future 36

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Chapter 1

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Moving Towards eLearning

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s 2008 entered its final month, A predictions of where the world

economy was heading turned dire. The

projections for the world output, across

industries, were less than optimistic

indicating that the recession in 2008

could turn into a depression in 2009 if

the prognosis were to be true. And one

of the major industries to be hit hard was

the training industry.

Corporate training budgets were slashed

and travel expenditure was cut. The

pressure on reducing costs had never

been greater.

movingtowards eLearning

Moving Towards eLearning

In the past, many training companies had

been reluctant to adopt eLearning as a

medium for training delivery. Most of

them had been successful in selling their

trainers' expertise (and charisma) as a

USP. And as such, they viewed eLearning

as a compromise on their core

competency – human mediated training.

However, this slump had occurred at a

time when the very structure of training

and learning was undergoing change - at

a time when corporates were considering

multiple technology-enabled training

options as part of their long term

strategy.

The lower costs of eLearning, the

foreseeable ubiquity of mLearning, the

promise of Social Learning, were all

forcing a major reshuffle in focus (and

budgets) in corporate training. And

training companies seemed to realize

that in order to survive and grow through

and beyond the recession they would

need to work with the customers in

offering them more options. This led

training companies to explore options to

keep running their business profitably, by

cutting the cost of training for their

clients, while adapting to the changing

nature of training and learning itself.

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Adopted eLearning

Why Training Providers

Chapter 1.1

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With clients starting to demand eLearning solutions, there was a

BIG push for training companies to move towards eLearning - as

survival and growth strategy.

The top 8 reasons for training

companies to adopt

eLearning at the wake of the

global downturn were:

01

Cost of training delivery

Flexibility

Increase delivery options

Improve efficiency

Learning management

It is better now

Am I late?

Client demand

clientdemand

Why Training Providers

Adopted eLearning

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To reduce cost of delivery for training companies and their

clients. Mentioned universally, this had come into focus even

more due to the recession where budgetary constraints had

adversely impacted the off-take of classroom training in a big

way.

The top 8 reasons for training

companies to adopt

eLearning at the wake of the

global downturn were:

02

Cost of training delivery

Flexibility

Increase delivery options

Improve efficiency

Learning management

It is better now

Am I late?

Client demand

cost oftraining delivery

Why Training Providers

Adopted eLearning

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Increase flexibility of access (anytime, anywhere). Training

companies were facing increasing difficulty in pulling employees

out of their jobs for instructor-led sessions which, at times, could

need multiple days. This was compounded by the fact that

managers were forced to do more with less people (several

organizations had retrenched people); hence letting anyone off

for even a day was becoming difficult.

The top 8 reasons for training

companies to adopt

eLearning at the wake of the

global downturn were:

03

Cost of training delivery

Flexibility

Increase delivery options

Improve efficiency

Learning management

It is better now

Am I late?

Client demand

flexibility

Why Training Providers

Adopted eLearning

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Blended learning options to cater to the unique requirements of

different clients. It is a fact that some clients want more

eLearning and some want less of it, while others want mobile

learning. Blended Learning helped training providers reach client

companies with a right mix of the options – not only making it

cost-effective for the clients but it also helped them cater to the

growing changes in way users were looking at delivery of

training.

The top 8 reasons for training

companies to adopt

eLearning at the wake of the

global downturn were:

04

Cost of training delivery

Flexibility

Increase delivery options

Improve efficiency

Learning management

It is better now

Am I late?

Client demand

increasedelivery options

Why Training Providers

Adopted eLearning

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Improve efficiency and effectiveness of instructor-led training

with technology-enabled components. Adding pre-workshop

eLearning modules, post-workshop eLearning sessions (could be

synchronous), mobile learning components for follow-ups that

help increase retention. Using technology such as ARS (Audience

Response Systems) in classrooms and providing collaborative

environments could create learning opportunities for users. As

training providers, they wanted to make their courses the 'best in

class', and technology-enabled learning enabled them to afford

that opportunity.

The top 8 reasons for training

companies to adopt

eLearning at the wake of the

global downturn were:

05

Cost of training delivery

Flexibility

Increase delivery options

Improve efficiency

Learning management

It is better now

Am I late?

Client demand

improveefficiency

Why Training Providers

Adopted eLearning

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Making management of reporting easier and being able to

check off some important checkboxes [more relevant to

compliance (and related) training]. As the paradigm continued to

shift, Learning Management Systems continued to evolve so as

to encompass a wider spectrum of tools to help manage

learning better.

The top 8 reasons for training

companies to adopt

eLearning at the wake of the

global downturn were:

06

Cost of training delivery

Flexibility

Increase delivery options

Improve efficiency

Learning management

It is better now

Am I late?

Client demand

learningmanagement

Why Training Providers

Adopted eLearning

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eLearning had improved since the time they last considered it.

There was NO doubt about this; eLearning had come a long way.

The addition of games, simulations, mobile-based learning, social

learning frameworks, collaborative tools and much more had

happened to instructional technology. Rather than simple page-

turners, the industry was slowly turning to provide instructional

experiences, both interactive and online.

The top 8 reasons for training

companies to adopt

eLearning at the wake of the

global downturn were:

07

Cost of training delivery

Flexibility

Increase delivery options

Improve efficiency

Learning management

It is better now

Am I late?

Client demand

it isbetter now

Why Training Providers

Adopted eLearning

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'I don't want to miss the boat!' This seemed to be the overriding

feeling amongst many training providers. Most companies

realized that survival could be unpredictable with only

classroom training as the mode.

The top 8 reasons for training

companies to adopt

eLearning at the wake of the

global downturn were:

08

Cost of training delivery

Flexibility

Increase delivery options

Improve efficiency

Learning management

It is better now

Am I late?

Client demand

am I late ?

Why Training Providers

Adopted eLearning

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Blended Learning -

A Viable Option

Chapter 2

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lended learning gives learners and B teachers a potential environment

to learn and teach more effectively. And

as training companies increasingly

started looking at eLearning for survival

& growth, blended learning emerged as

the best bet too – albeit for a slightly

different reason.

Training companies wanted to hang on

to all of their classroom training as that

was their core competency – something

they really excelled in and had relied on

to satisfy and retain clients for years.

Balancing market demand and the desire

to retain the core competence led to

blended learning -a viable option

Blended Learning -

A Viable Option

'blended learning' emerging as a natural

choice. It offered them the flexibility to

customize programs to suit their clients'

budgets and time availability. Training

companies realized that by doing

blended learning well (and sooner than

their competitors) they could foster their

competitive advantage.

According to Wikipedia, 'Blended

Learning refers to a mixing of different

learning environments'. Let's consider a

scenario - there is a training program on

Conflict Management. Now, there may be

a preliminary video to watch, and then a

self-paced online module that presents

the principles and theory underlying

Conflict Management. However, the

nature of the subject is such that skills

can eventually be practiced only in

classroom or workshop type situations,

with 'real' people and 'real' facilitators.

How does one go about with this? The

answer lies in blending different delivery

modes. Hence, a learning solution need

not necessarily be 100% online. An

effective solution is often an intelligent

blend of components with different

delivery modes.

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Role Of LMS

In Training Companies - Then

Chapter 3

LearningManagement

System

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hus, training companies the world T over were changing the way they

operated and the services they offered

to their customers. An important one

was evidently the inclusion of

eLearning (or online training) as

part of their core offerings for

existing and new customers. As

mentioned in chapter 1.1, such an

offering was not purely driven by a cost-

saving strategy on the customer's part,

but was also due to the growing

acceptance of eLearning as an effective

way of delivering training.

role of LMSin training companies - then

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies - Then

Training companies needed to enable

themselves with the tools and

technologies needed to go online with

their training material and find the right

systems and backend partners to support

them during and after this crucial

exercise. And as such, an appropriate

Learning Management System (LMS) was

the key to the successful execution of this

piece of strategy. Because having a good

system not only meant happy and

delighted customers, but also provided a

cutting-edge to the training company.

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For the purpose of this article, it has been assumed that training

companies used the LMS to host and deliver/ sell their own

training content online to their existing and new customers (or

individual users).

Training companies needed a system that would let them have

the freedom to set up customer accounts on the system easily

and almost instantly with basic settings that could be configured

through the interface itself. This meant that the right system

would have at least three distinct entities (or profiles) –

(Training Company);

(Someone at customer's end to manage their activities);

(Learner at customer's end). These three profiles ensured

that both the training company and the customer could work on

the system without much dependence on the LMS vendor or the

training company for routine tasks like license management,

course management, reporting, learner support for basic queries,

eCommerce, etc.

LMS

Administrator Client Administrator

Learner

/ User

On an average the below set

of features and functionalities

formed the basic

requirements of an LMS,

albeit some companies may

have needed a little more or a

little less.

01

Hosting and support

Branding of the system

Standards compliance

Functionality modules

Who's who in the LMS?

who's who in the LMS?

Key point: The LMS system must support a multi-

portal structure where the training company itself

could create an account for a customer and the

system would automatically create a portal for it.

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies - Then

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Since the core business of a training company is to offer training,

what they needed from the LMS vendor was a complete

package on hosting and support. These two eventually formed

the backbone of the entire offering as the company needed to

be absolutely certain about the reliability and availability of the

system along with best-in-class support before they approached

their customers. Amongst customers, the reputation of the

training providers was at stake and being able to rely on the LMS

vendor completely was a MUST. Most training companies

seemed to prefer an arrangement wherein the vendor would

host and support the LMS.

Talking about support in particular, it had been observed that

even though vendors had the capabilities to offer direct support

to end users, few training companies liked to keep Level 1

support at their end and then utilize the vendor's support as

second line. This was linked to the requirement on white-

labeling (which means that the LMS carries no reference to the

actual developer/ vendor and is branded entirely as a system

belonging to the company) where the company wanted to go as

a self-sustaining provider to its customers.

On an average the below set

of features and functionalities

formed the basic

requirements of an LMS,

albeit some companies may

have needed a little more or a

little less.

02

Hosting and support

Branding of the system

Standards compliance

Functionality modules

Who's who in the LMS?

hosting& support

However, the LMS vendor needed to set up proper

systems and training for the company to provide

support.

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies - Then

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Most of the customers preferred the system to be white-labeled.

Considering it involved cost, some companies were good to go

with a system which carried their main branding with a reference

to the vendor. The flexibility to offer a white-labeled system, even

at additional cost, was a big plus. This could become a key

discussion point if the company had strong views on getting it

white-labeled.

On an average the below set

of features and functionalities

formed the basic

requirements of an LMS,

albeit some companies may

have needed a little more or a

little less.

03

Hosting and support

Branding of the system

Standards compliance

Functionality modules

Who's who in the LMS?

brandingof the system

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies - Then

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It was essential that the LMS supported SCORM and AICC

standards. If the LMS also supported the upload and delivery of a

proprietary format (HTML pages without any compliance) or

videos which had not been packaged as SCORM/ AICC courses, it

was a bonus for the company as it entailed no additional cost to

convert those to a standards-compliant courseware. However, it

still meant certain integration costs and could also indicate

losing out on the inherent advantages of using standards.

On an average the below set

of features and functionalities

formed the basic

requirements of an LMS,

albeit some companies may

have needed a little more or a

little less.

04

Hosting and support

Branding of the system

Standards compliance

Functionality modules

Who's who in the LMS?

standardscompliance

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies - Then

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In terms of the functionality modules, companies liked to keep the entire system simple and easy-to-use and did not have a

big list of functionalities required. Some of the modules they required were:

On an average the below set

of features and functionalities

formed the basic

requirements of an LMS,

albeit some companies may

have needed a little more or a

little less.

05

Hosting and support

Branding of the system

Standards compliance

Functionality modules

Who's who in the LMS?

functionalitymodules

bility to upload and configure A courses for delivery. A key

requirement here was the ability to be

able to selectively assign courses to

clients.

coursemanagement

asy-to-use interface for adding/ E removing licenses either at the

client level or course level for a client.

Once licenses were assigned, the Client

Administrator could then distribute

licenses as per internal training needs.

licencemanagementa b

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies - Then

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In terms of the functionality modules, companies liked to keep the entire system simple and easy-to-use and did not have a

big list of functionalities required. Some of the modules they required were:

On an average the below set

of features and functionalities

formed the basic

requirements of an LMS,

albeit some companies may

have needed a little more or a

little less.

05

Hosting and Support

Branding of the system

Standards compliance

Functionality modules

Who's who in the LMS?

functionalitymodules

ven though these features could E be present in the Client

Administration area, most companies

preferred uploading (and managing)

users for their clients through

spreadsheets.

usermanagement

his was a requirement for training T companies who already sold their

training material online on their site and

were willing to continue the same model

for online training as well.

eCommercemodulec d

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies - Then

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In terms of the functionality modules, companies liked to keep the entire system simple and easy-to-use and did not have a

big list of functionalities required. Some of the modules they required were:

On an average the below set

of features and functionalities

formed the basic

requirements of an LMS,

albeit some companies may

have needed a little more or a

little less.

05

Hosting and Support

Branding of the system

Standards compliance

Functionality modules

Who's who in the LMS?

functionalitymodules

he most common requirement for T integration was with the primary

website. Most companies already had a

well established catalog and shopping

cart on their primary website and

wished to integrate the LMS with the

same. The integration requirement was

for the LMS to become transparent as far

as the shopping was concerned and that

the users/ clients could login through

the main website itself.

systemsintegration

raining companies needed the T ability to generate reports at client

level, whereas the client accounts

needed extensive reporting on the user

progress, assessments and other

relevant indicators. An export feature to

Excel, PDF was a good thing to have.

reportingmodulee f

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies - Then

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In terms of the functionality modules, companies liked to keep the entire system simple and easy-to-use and did not have a

big list of functionalities required. Some of the modules they required were:

On an average the below set

of features and functionalities

formed the basic

requirements of an LMS,

albeit some companies may

have needed a little more or a

little less.

05

Hosting and Support

Branding of the system

Standards compliance

Functionality modules

Who's who in the LMS?

functionalitymodules

ot a high priority module, but its N importance was sure to increase

in the future with increase in the usage

of LMS. The module allowed authoring/

uploading of questions, ability to present

questions randomly and an easy

interface for the learners to submit their

responses.

onlineassessments

aving the LMS to generate H certificates of completion, in a

number of templates, was a typical

requirement. This not only reduced the

overheads at the customer and the

company end in generating and

delivering certificates but the learners

also got a certificate instantly up on

completion.

automaticcertifications g h

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies - Then

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In terms of the functionality modules, companies liked to keep the entire system simple and easy-to-use and did not have a

big list of functionalities required. Some of the modules they required were:

On an average the below set

of features and functionalities

formed the basic

requirements of an LMS,

albeit some companies may

have needed a little more or a

little less.

05

Hosting and Support

Branding of the system

Standards compliance

Functionality modules

Who's who in the LMS?

functionalitymodules

his requirement was not high on T agenda when the company started

rolling out the initiative, but it was an

important requirement to have the LMS

support multi-lingual content as well as

interface inherently for an easy upgrade

to delivering training to a multi-lingual

audience.

multi-lingual capabilities

hough there was no limit to collaboration T and support tools that could be built in, it

had been observed that the most important

ones were: 1) An in-built helpdesk that allowed

users to post their issues/ queries and track

them to closure; 2) System Diagnostic tool to

allow users to check their PCs for the required

software as configured as certain courses may

require Flash plug-in, even Applets or a certain

media player (though the LMS must be 100%

web-based); 3) A feature to send message(s) to

all (or select client) learners through the

system as an announcement.

learnersupport toolsi j

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies - Then

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In terms of the functionality modules, companies liked to keep the entire system simple and easy-to-use and did not have a

big list of functionalities required. Some of the modules they required were:

On an average the below set

of features and functionalities

formed the basic

requirements of an LMS,

albeit some companies may

have needed a little more or a

little less.

05

Hosting and Support

Branding of the system

Standards compliance

Functionality modules

Who's who in the LMS?

functionalitymodules

gain, not very high on priority, but A it was crucial that a LMS system

should have some tools enabling

collaboration – chat, discussion forums,

etc. Even though not many training

companies asked for them, it was an

option that was still required.

collaborationtools

askan expertk l

feature ignored by a lot of LMS A vendors, the 'Ask an Expert'

feature was where the users could

directly ask any content related queries

to the appropriate Subject Matter Expert

(SME) and track that through closure.

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies - Then

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In terms of the functionality modules, companies liked to keep the entire system simple and easy-to-use and did not have a

big list of functionalities required. Some of the modules they required were:

On an average the below set

of features and functionalities

formed the basic

requirements of an LMS,

albeit some companies may

have needed a little more or a

little less.

05

Hosting and Support

Branding of the system

Standards compliance

Functionality modules

Who's who in the LMS?

functionalitymodules

automatedemail notifications m

number of automated email A notifications to both the learners and

the administrators were required. E.g.

Course expiry, course assignment,

upcoming assessments, triggers upon

learner posting a support query or

receiving a response, etc. An LMS system

needed to have a module which allowed

the administrators at both the training

company end and the client administrator

end to configure and set up email

notifications as required. Ability to

modify email body, recipients, etc. easily

was a big plus as it reduced the

dependence of the company on the LMS

vendor for routine tasks.

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies - Then

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t was not just requisite to have these I features in the LMS but imperative

that the LMS system did not offer other

extra features which could become more

of a distraction to both the training

company and the end client. However, it

was very important that the LMS system

did have scale-up capabilities to add on

modules for many other activities. This

would ensure that the system could be

usable even as the business of training,

specially online training, kept evolving

and even when training companies

would come back to ask for modules on

virtual classroom, collaboration tools,

role of LMS

social media, competency management,

etc.

In a nutshell, what a training company

needed then was a ready-to-go system

without the frills and one that

concentrated on core training delivery

activities. In the eyes of the training

company and their customers, what they

were eventually selling to their customers

was not an LMS but more of a training

solution (which was primarily their

content) through an easy-to-use and

robust platform which did not need to

have fancy features. For this reason, the

LMS was to remain the key technology

enabler making it easier to remain

focused on their core business.

in training companies - then

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies - Then

theconclusion

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Role Of LMS

In Training Companies - Now

Chapter 4

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Role Of LMS

In Training Companies – Now

role of LMSin training companies - now

earning Management Systems L have grown and continue to grow

and offer the right set of tools both for

formal and informal learning. In general,

they recognize that needs are constantly

evolving – now to embrace social

learning, mobile learning, and approach

that from within the LMS framework.

Below is a quick look at the key features

and functionalities required by training

companies - then. Further mentioned are

the changes that have taken place in the

requirements from the same perspective

of key features and functionalities.

ŸHosting and support

ŸBranding of the System

ŸStandards compliance

ŸReady to go system without frills

ŸScale-up capabilities (widgets)

ŸMulti-portal structure

key features(then)

ŸCourse management

ŸLicense management

ŸUser management

ŸeCommerce

ŸSystems integration

ŸReporting

ŸOnline assessments

ŸAutomatic certifications

ŸMulti-lingual

ŸLearner support tools

ŸCollaboration tools

ŸAsk an expert

ŸAutomated email notifications

functionalities(then)

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Today, training companies

look for an LMS that deliver

best value specifically for

'them'. This is a factor of the

'features set' mentioned

along with a 'level of

flexibility' available at the

system level, company level

and more importantly in the

pricing of the LMS.

key features & functionalities(now)

urprisingly, there are not many new things that have come up, which are needed from S an LMS by a training company. This is definitely surprising and thought-provoking as

training companies are eventually serving customers who are looking to eLearning for

some of their training needs. Over the last couple of years, much has happened in the

learning domain but the requirements from an LMS by a training company haven't

changed much.

It could be because training companies continue to focus on the limited area of skills they

provide training on and not much has changed over the years in the way that is done.

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies – Now

role of LMSin training companies - now

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Well, this is a moving target and will always remain relevant. With

Web 1.0 leading in to Web 2.0 and at the edge of leading in to

Web 3.0 LMS systems need to find continually innovative and

intuitive user interfaces to keep up with how the end user really

wants to see things on an LMS.

However, looking at the Top

10 LMS/ LCMS Trends and

Forecasts – three points

which are relevant to this

article (in terms of what a

training company needs from

an LMS) are:

01

Easier UI, front end,

what the end user sees

easier ui, front endwhat the end user sees

Expansion into the SMB

(Small & Medium Business)

Wizards, graphs and

administration side

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies – Now

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LMS systems should recognize Administrators as power users

too (similar to a learner) and the system should have an easy to

use UI along with strong capabilities on MIS reporting.

02

Easier UI, front end,

what the end user sees

wizards, graphs andadministration side

Expansion into the SMB

(Small & Medium Business)

Wizards, graphs and

administration side

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies – Now

34 of 44

However, looking at the Top

10 LMS/ LCMS Trends and

Forecasts – three points

which are relevant to this

article (in terms of what a

training company needs from

an LMS) are:

LMS For Training Companies -

Then & Now

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In overall terms, training companies are looking for an LMS that

has been designed with them in mind and not a system that has

been designed as an LMS and then can be modified to meet

their needs. In some case the option to 'change' may not be

feasible or available and in some others it may not be viable

(commercially).

03

Easier UI, front end,

what the end user sees

expansion into the SMB(Small & Medium Business)

Expansion into the SMB

(Small & Medium Business)

Wizards, graphs and

administration side

Role Of LMS

In Training Companies – Now

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However, looking at the Top

10 LMS/ LCMS Trends and

Forecasts – three points

which are relevant to this

article (in terms of what a

training company needs from

an LMS) are:

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Looking Into

The Future

Chapter 5

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Looking Into

The Future

looking intothe future

2009 and 2010 have been challenging

years for the training industry - with

slashed training budgets and emergence

of new technologies. The last factor has

affected (and will affect) the Learning

Management System in the coming days.

Below are a few predictions that hinge

on LMS:

Just a few years ago, Learning Management Systems were considered the most important learning

technology investment a company could make. More recently, authoring and delivery platforms

became even hotter. It is difficult to find a company that doesn't have multiple LMS/ LCMS solutions

and access to several authoring and delivery platforms. So, now what's hot? The convergence of all of

these technologies and platforms into an integrated easily accessed Learning Portal. The best portals

will allow users to access all forms of learning content - courses, articles, case studies, publications and

other materials - into an easily accessed and organized world. It uses all of the Web 2.0 technologies to

allow learners to learn from other learners, and to share their knowledge in very informal ways. Training

is quickly becoming more web savvy and focused on access of information. Expect to see more services

and technology solutions that make managing the portal that much easier.

learning portals will becomethe next big training technology solution

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Looking Into

The Future

looking intothe future

The availability, accessibility and acceptance of today's social media and other connectivity technology

have changed learning in a very short time. These shifts shall continue, as changing workforce

demographics interests and abilities lead to training that not just makes use of collaborative learning,

but relies on it. In order to make the most of this trend toward social learning, rich-media-based

instructional materials and networked businesses, learning leaders will begin to earnestly focus both on

the fostering of and management of user-generated content. Learning leaders will create opportunities

for group learning, sharing and support through vehicles including webcasts, lunch-and-learn

programs and social networks. Learning leaders also will have to monitor viral learning as it spreads

throughout the organization, both to ensure the ongoing accuracy of shared information and to keep

those user-spread lessons aligned with business needs. A real opportunity for LMS to create learner-

centric environments rather than centralized course delivery system. By not only providing the tools

but also revamping the whole learner experience is required.

the creation of user-generated contentwill continue to grow

2009 has been a challenging year for the

training industry - one with slashed

training budgets and emergence of new

technologies. The last factor has affected

(and will affect) the Learning

Management System in the coming days.

Below are a few predictions that hinge

on LMS:

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Looking Into

The Future

looking intothe future

Given the core strength of the LMS and its capability to link with other systems, being able to offer

talent management functionality in the context of both formal and informal learning is an excellent

opportunity for the LMS to become and remain relevant for the HR/ training function.

talent managementwill emerge

2009 has been a challenging year for the

training industry - one with slashed

training budgets and emergence of new

technologies. The last factor has affected

(and will affect) the Learning

Management System in the coming days.

Below are a few predictions that hinge

on LMS:

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Looking Into

The Future

looking intothe future

With this there will be a big shift in the way assessments are perceived. The ability to measure informal

learning may be done through the system itself, and constant tracking of some metrics will help

learning designers monitor the 'learning/performance health' of the system and its users. Learning

designers can then design appropriate intervention within this framework to align with learning needs

and business goals. LMS systems would evolve to accommodate newer tools and techniques.

the LMS will evolve to support (not manage)formal+informal+social+non-formal learning

2009 has been a challenging year for the

training industry - one with slashed

training budgets and emergence of new

technologies. The last factor has affected

(and will affect) the Learning

Management System in the coming days.

Below are a few predictions that hinge

on LMS:

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Looking Into

The Future

looking intothe future

As mobile learning gains ground there will be (and already is) a growing need to look beyond

notifications for users and quick-follow-up assessments through mobile devices. There will be a need to

look at porting some other critical learner and administrator side LMS functions to mobile

platform/devices making it easier to administer the LMS on the go.

the future of learningis mobile

2009 has been a challenging year for the

training industry - one with slashed

training budgets and emergence of new

technologies. The last factor has affected

(and will affect) the Learning

Management System in the coming days.

Below are a few predictions that hinge

on LMS:

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References

http://elearninfo247.com/2010/07/13/top-10-lmslcms-trends-and-forecasts/

Top 10 LMS/LCMS Trends and Forecasts by Craig Weiss on E-Learning 24/7 Blog

http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2009/08/04/training-companies-are-adopting-elearning/

Training Companies Are Adopting eLearning by Amit Garg on Upside Learning Blog

http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2009/10/30/top-8-reasons-why-training-providers-are-adopting-elearning/

Top 8 Reasons Why Training Providers Are Adopting eLearning by Amit Garg on Upside Learning Blog

http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2009/07/21/learning-management-what-does-a-training-company-need-an-lms-for/

Learning Management: What does a Training Company need an LMS for? by Amit Gautam on Upside Learning Blog

http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2009/10/22/blended-learning-is-the-best-option/

Blended Learning is The Best Option by Amit Garg on Upside Learning Blog

http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2009/12/22/blending-learning-with-social-technology-components/

Blending Learning with Social Technology Components by Abhijit Kadle on Upside Learning Blog

http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2010/02/05/the-lms-and-sns-a-fine-balance/

The LMS and SNS – A Fine Balance by Abhijit Kadle on Upside Learning Blog

http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2010/07/16/lms-for-smbs-and-training-companies-a-year-on-is-it-still-the-same/

LMS For SMBs And Training Companies – A Year On, Is It Still The Same? by Amit Gautam on Upside Learning Blog

References

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http://www.trainingindustry.com/articles/10-predictions-for-2010.aspx

10 Predictions for 2010: Will it be the Year for REAL Change? By Doug Harward, CEO, Training Industry, Inc.

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ounder and Director of Technology Solutions at Upside Learning, is the techie F and brain behind the multi award-winning Learning Management System - UpsideLMS. He

leads the Technology Solutions team and has played a key role in bringing an innovative approach

to the traditional Learning Management System. In his 13 years of professional life, he has had the

experience in managing a startup, managing technology projects, consulting on technology

solutions, and architecting and developing technology solutions. He has worked with some of the

big names in the technology domain namely Tata Infotech, Infosys Technologies, and a leading

eLearning company in India.

An MBA from IIM Lucknow, he has been associated with the eLearning domain for last 10 years, has

twice served as a judge for the Brandon Hall awards, and is an active contributor to many eLearning

forums.

Amit Gautam

[email protected]

twitter.com/amitgautam

About The Author

About The Author

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globally recognized leader in training outsourcing, we are one of the leading names in A Custom eLearning & LMS, the world over. With a solutions & services portfolio that ranges

from Custom eLearning to Mobile Learning, Catalog Courses to Learning Management System &

technical support services, we serve over 150 clients from a diverse set of industries & countries.

We have a vast experience of 600+ person-years, with 2000+ hours of eLearning developed & over

300 projects completed. It is our quest to become a leading provider of effective learning &

performance support solutions to the global community that has helped us win awards and other

recognitions year after year.

Learn More: www.upsidelearning.com

About Upside Learning

[email protected]

twitter.com/UpsideLearning

facebook.com/UpsideLearning

linkedin.com/companies/upside-learning-solutions-pvt.-ltd.

slideshare.net/UpsideLearning

About Upside Learning

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