A Learning Management System is a school software for developing, implementing and delivering educational courses. It is an integrated online system used for creating, tracking, delivering, and reporting educational lessons and outcomes. It can be used to support traditional face-to-face instruction and blended or hybrid and distance learning environments. Schools use LMS software to plan, facilitate, implement, assess, and monitor student learning. All of these activities are conducted in a virtual setting that provides a measure of security, authentication, and privacy.
Key Features of a Learning Management System
The Learning Management System enables schools to maintain the integrity of educational programs by enabling educators to efficiently and effectively develop courses, facilitate communication, assess student success, deliver instruction, foster collaboration between students, and provide other learning resources for support. This information can be examined to detect patterns in learning for remedial student support and overall class improvement.
Within a learning management system, teachers can combine or align standards with curriculum or resources and assessments and monitor students’ progress, activities, and other performance-related outcomes of targeted, individualised student learning objectives and overall school improvement initiatives. Hence, teachers can set the targeted individual student’s learning objectives and impart them with immediate feedback on areas needing improvement.
A learning management system also provides teachers with one central location for the lesson and assessment planning, student feedback portals, end-of-course grades, and parent and family reports, just to name a few.
9 Reasons to Use a Learning Management System in Your School
1. Support efficient distribution of class materials
Using a learning management system, teachers share class materials with all students regardless of whether they are in class or learning remotely. The students will have access to the lesson, including activities, objectives, and resources. Instead of students purchasing and lugging one giant textbook, LMS integrates an up-to-date product into the class page.
2. Resources in a variety of formats
In a classroom management system, resources can be sourced and disseminated in various formats. This allows teachers to gather numerous resources on a topic or skill that will assist students in understanding the context in a way that suits them. In addition, an LMS incorporates videos and external sites that can be embedded easily into the class pages to allow students ease of access and aesthetically engaging learning pages.
3. Parental access to class schedule, outlines and assessment
With a robust LMS, parents and guardians can access their child’s class timetable, calendar, outline and assessment dates. This allows the conversation to occur meaningfully outside of class, and parents can actively engage in their child’s learning.
4. Enables diverse assessment options
Assessment can take place online in multiple formats in an LMS. Short quizzes, MCQs, and questionnaires all provide the opportunity to deliver immediate feedback. Teachers can also mention an external site, including video formats and apply questions or subjects from that stimulus. The software allows students to upload their work in multiple formats, including screencasts, podcasts or videos.
5. Transparency on feedback
A classroom management system enables sharing of feedback from a teacher for formative and summative tasks with the student via the class page. These pages can also be sent onto the parental page, enabling all feedback to be kept and stored so students can easily access and act on tasks.
6. Provides a number of communication options
A classroom management system allows schools to set up various access points and groups to communicate learning. For example, class pages, home rooms, year level or house pages are common in an LMS.
7. Tracking student data
Data from student assessment and attendance can be easily stored in the LMS and used to provide progression with learning. Students who need extra support across topics can also be easily identified. Likewise, students who are excellent in class can also be highlighted.
8. Digitalisation of teaching and learning
By digitising the curriculum with a learning management system, students have access to the same unit outlines and resources regardless of their class. This creates equitable access across the grade. Units can also be archived for the following year, eliminating the notion of recreating work which the teachers can then use to review and improve units for the following year.
9. Transitioning to remote learning in a heartbeat
A learning management system enables learning to occur in various places, including the student’s home. In addition, setting up digital spaces to deliver education acts as a safeguard to offer continuity to students in instances where schools must transition to remote teaching with little warning.
Wrap Up
The best Learning Management System (LMS) can significantly enhance the teaching and learning experience for both educators and students. Not only should it be efficient, but it should also be cost-effective to ensure sustainable use in the long run. The ideal LMS for schools provides an optimal digital learning environment while saving time and money.