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LMS For Training Companies - Then & Now
www.upsidelearning.com
An Upside Learning eBook
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
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
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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
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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:
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
35 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
www.upsidelearning.com
Looking Into
The Future
Chapter 5
36 of 44
LMS For Training Companies -
Then & Now
www.upsidelearning.com
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
37 of 44
LMS For Training Companies -
Then & Now
www.upsidelearning.com
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:
38 of 44
LMS For Training Companies -
Then & Now
www.upsidelearning.com
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:
39 of 44
LMS For Training Companies -
Then & Now
www.upsidelearning.com
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:
40 of 44
LMS For Training Companies -
Then & Now
www.upsidelearning.com
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:
41 of 44
LMS For Training Companies -
Then & Now
www.upsidelearning.com
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.
LMS For Training Companies -
Then & Now
www.upsidelearning.com
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
twitter.com/amitgautam
About The Author
About The Author
43 of 44
LMS For Training Companies -
Then & Now
www.upsidelearning.com
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
twitter.com/UpsideLearning
facebook.com/UpsideLearning
linkedin.com/companies/upside-learning-solutions-pvt.-ltd.
slideshare.net/UpsideLearning
About Upside Learning
44 of 44
LMS For Training Companies -
Then & Now
www.upsidelearning.com