Best LMS Software Of 2024

By Ishani Vats, Technical Content Writer at SelectHub

Primary Benefits

First thing’s first, how can an LMS help you? Let’s look at some of its key benefits for businesses and educational institutions.

Remote Access

Since LMS software is typically accessible via laptops, desktops and mobile phones, learners can study at their own pace and convenience despite working from different locations and/or time zones. Accessibility features such as screen reader compatibility and adjustable font sizes cater to diverse learner needs, including those with visual or hearing disabilities.

Greater Savings

Learners save big on travel expenses since they don’t have to commute to class. Going virtual also saves you overhead costs on renting space, employing staff and using paper-based learning materials.

By centralizing learning resources and automating administrative tasks, the software streamlines training operations and saves operational costs. Many solutions are scalable, helping you train large numbers of learners or add new features to the platform without incurring significant incremental costs.

Easy Customizations

You can customize learning paths, content and assessments to align with organizational goals and individual learner needs. Customizable reporting and analytics features enable you to track specific performance metrics and gain data-based insights into business objectives.

Real-Time Collaboration

Social learning tools, such as peer reviews, discussion boards, and group projects and assignments facilitate knowledge sharing and community building. You can integrate the system with communication and collaboration tools, such as video conferencing and messaging platforms to enable seamless collaboration between learners and instructors.

Valuable Insights

Data-driven insights help identify learning trends, assess the effectiveness of training programs and make informed decisions to optimize learning outcomes. With detailed learner analytics, organizations can identify skill gaps, track certification compliance and measure the impact of training on overall performance.

Key Features

Systems live or die by their features, so it’s crucial to prioritize your organization’s must-have functionality. Our LMS requirements guide and checklist go through a more comprehensive approach by defining and examining different systems. Below is an essential glossary of terms and tools you’ll encounter during your search.

Current & Upcoming Trends

Since this industry lives and dies by information, it’s no surprise that it’s continually evolving. Here’s what’s on the horizon for LMS in the next year and beyond.

Data and Analytics

Beyond tracking completion rates, organizations are harnessing AI-powered analytics to unlock a deeper understanding of learners’ behavior and engagement, knowledge retention and skill mastery. A data-driven approach empowers educators to move from a one-size-fits-all model to an individualized learning experience that facilitates each learner’s personal growth and development.

Predictive analytics helps forecast learner outcomes and create early intervention strategies to support struggling students. Additionally, you can use content and learner data to assess the effectiveness of learning materials and instructional methods, leading to data-driven decision-making in curriculum development.

Mobile Learning

Organizations are going from simply programming mobile options to a mobile-first mindset. It’s so easy for learners to log in and train when it’s convenient for them. Over 65% of working-age internet users use the internet via mobile devices. That’s why more organizations are designing classes and materials for mobile before anything else and making it their priority.

Fractional Service Expertise

This shift empowers organizations to tap into the specialized knowledge and agility of freelance learning experts at a fraction of the cost of full-time employees. It involves picking and choosing the specific expertise you need for your LMS solution, whether it's content curation, gamification design or learner support, without traditional overhead or ongoing costs.

It breaks down hiring barriers too, allowing you to access niche expertise beyond your local talent pool. Need a VR training specialist for your immersive learning project? Or a microlearning guru to design bite-sized, engaging modules? Fractional services make it possible.

This agility fosters innovative learning solutions, allowing you to adapt quickly to changing needs and industry trends.

Immersive Learning

By incorporating immersive experiences like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) into LMS platforms, educators and trainers can create hands-on learning opportunities for learners.

These technologies enable learners to explore virtual environments and interact with content in ways that mimic real-world settings, leading to deeper understanding, improved retention and increased engagement.

With this and other similar benefits in mind, it should come as no surprise that the number of AR and VR users in the U.S. is expected to reach 299 million by 2028.

Here are some use cases of AR, VR and MR in the context of an LMS:

• AR: Enable learners to learn in interactive environments and get real-time instructions using their phones, tablets or headsets. For example, you can replicate safety equipment in the form of 3D models and allow learners to rotate, view and zoom into objects.
• VR: Engage learners in realistic, stimulated environments to facilitate experiential learning. Students can embark on field trips to historical landmarks or explore the human body in 3D in a safe, controlled setting.
• MR: Use AR and VR technology to help learners interact with virtual objects while being aware of their physical surroundings in a collaborative problem-solving environment. For example, you can create immersive architectural design environments where students can interact with and manipulate virtual building models in real time

Some immersive learning applications include RealWear and Hololens 2.

Generative AI and Personalization

It’s no secret that AI is exploding, with 62% of organizations agreeing that it improves the productivity and efficiency of internal business processes.

Companies are using AI algorithms to analyze learner data, preferences and even learning styles to curate a path that maximizes knowledge gain. GenAI recommends learning materials that perfectly align with each learner's strengths and weaknesses, and provides AI-generated practice exercises tailored to their learning pace.

We asked Draven McConville, CEO of Klipboard, about the role of AI in creating personalized and career-oriented L&D programs:

“AI-powered LMSs use machine learning algorithms to examine user data, including test results, completion rates, patterns of content consumption and user reviews. This allows LMS systems to provide data-driven suggestions for modules, courses and additional materials that align with each learner’s goals. These suggestions constantly change as the AI continuously improves its comprehension of each user's learning trajectory.”

AI-powered chatbots that offer real-time support are also becoming popular. They offer clear and personalized explanations for course topics, along with targeted exercises based on each learner’s specific areas of difficulty. This personalized support system allows them to learn at their own pace and overcome challenges efficiently.

Microlearning and Gamification

The online world is rich in information, and people value content that’s engaging and quickly captures their attention. That's where microlearning and gamification come in.

They facilitate learning complex concepts in bite-sized, engaging modules that are fun and accessible on any device, making learning efficient, enjoyable and perfect for the modern learner.

Microlearning breaks down information into digestible chunks, delivered in short modules like videos, infographics or interactive quizzes. It helps learners process information better in small doses, minimizing cognitive overload and boosting knowledge retention.

Gamification adds playful elements by incorporating game mechanics like points, badges and leaderboards into the learning process. For example, learners can earn points for completing modules or unlock badges as they master new skills. This playful approach incentivizes learning, fosters healthy competition and keeps learners motivated to progress.

Short, engaging modules combined with game mechanics make learning efficient, accessible and enjoyable. They’re a fundamental shift towards creating learner-centric, engaging and effective learning experiences.

How To Compare Learning Management Systems

As the market grows, the number of new, accessible options available for various platforms increases exponentially. Expectations for quality are high and the offerings are varied.

That’s why it’s vital to create an exact list of priorities before you even start to look at possible solutions. Make sure you understand some of the most urgent requirements.

Determining Requirements

To simplify your search, focus on your top needs. Create a list of essential capabilities and prioritize.

Engage with stakeholders from various departments, including HR, IT and training to gain a comprehensive understanding of their needs and expectations from the software. Factors to consider at this stage include the number of users, types of content you want to deliver, organization size, and primary and nice-to-have needs.

For a comprehensive guide to top-priority features and functionalities, we suggest our key features checklist.

Standards and Support

Support for a learning management system is crucial and can refer to a few different things. One invaluable piece for any LMS is an application programming interface (API). An API allows you to access the features of a program, application or software.

Support also refers to a set of standards within the program. Standards are a way of doing things in an agreed-upon manner. This case ensures designers construct programs in a standardized format that allows an LMS to communicate with external content sources like Lynda and LinkedIn Learning.

Popular support options include:

• AICC: The Aviation Industry Computer-Based Training Committee was one of the first standards. It crossed industries and was dissolved in 2004. Many standards are still AICC compliant to ensure communication with legacy systems.
• SCORM: Shareable Content Object Reference Model is the current industry standard. It’s still relevant but can be a bit out of date with modern practices.
• xAPI (previously Tin Can): A leaner and more straightforward solution to SCORM, once thought to replace its predecessor, xAPI lets developers send data to a wide range of programs, including mobile, help desk apps and talent management systems.
• CMI5: A new standard, released after AICC dissolved, cmi5 is sometimes considered more flexible than SCORM and more regulated than xAPI.
• LTI: The Learning Tools Interoperability standard, created by the IMS Global Learning Consortium, allows for smoother connections with various social learning tools.

Lastly, it’s always beneficial to have resources for when things go wrong in your system. Some standards may come with support. Others may not. Ensure that you have a service that can answer questions and solve glitches, especially when it comes to integrations.

Vendor Comparison

Once the requirements and standards have been established, the next step is comparing potential vendors. This includes conducting thorough research on the reputation, experience and customer reviews of each vendor.

You should run software demos to assess their user interface, functionality and customization capabilities.

For more transparency on pricing, compare the total cost of ownership, including setup and licensing costs, and ongoing maintenance expenses.

Cost & Pricing Considerations

Pricing is one of the single most important factors you’ll need to consider. Learning management systems have different payment models. A system may require you to pay a flat license fee or recurring subscription cost — some charge per learner or user and some charge for many people under a complicated formula.

Consider price when it comes to either buying or selling content. Evaluate the fidelity and quality of the information to see if the price is appropriate. If you create training and want to offer it to other companies or, alternately, need to purchase specific coursework, this will need to go into your calculations.

Here are some popular LMS pricing models to help you select the most viable payment option for your business:

• Pay Per User: You have to pay a fixed price for a set number of learners.
• Pay Per Active User: You’ll be charged for users who use the LMS during a billing cycle.
• Pay As You Go: You pay only for what you use.
• Licensing: You pay a set price for a periodic license for a given set of features.
• Free of Cost: The platform is free to use, and no payment is required.
• Essential: 50 to 150 users
• Premium: 150 to 300 users
• Enterprise: 300+ users

LMS vs. LCMS

While doing research, you may see the term LCMS floating around and wonder, “What’s the difference between an LMS and an LCMS?”

Technically speaking, an LCMS — or learning content management system — has content creation abilities. An LMS does not. Or, put more simply, an LCMS has the tools to create and publish the actual text, video or other media used for learning on the site.

An LCMS helps build, store and manage content, while an LMS delivers the content to learners and handles administrative issues like learner progress tracking, integrations and user enrollment.

It’s important to note that many vendors use the phrase LMS generically to refer to a platform with LMS and LCMS capabilities. Depending on the solution you buy, an LCMS could be a separate tool or, more likely, have its content authoring functionality built into the LMS. That’s why it’s crucial to conduct thorough research to understand the exact features you’re considering.

A learning content management system’s capability is essential when considering what kind of content you want to create in your system.

Who Uses Learning Management Systems?

Let’s take a look at how LMSs cater to the diverse needs of different types of users, and how they enhance teaching and learning experiences.

Corporations

The corporate LMS market is estimated to reach 42.84 billion by 2030. Easy access to training content, advanced progress tracking tools and a growing focus on employee engagement are top drivers behind rapid LMS adoption among professionals. These platforms are popular across multiple industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, retail, financial services and hospitality.

Here are some ways businesses can use an LMS to fulfill their employee training needs:

• Employee Onboarding: New employees can access essential training material, like company policies and job responsibilities, in multimedia formats to help them learn and adapt to various workflows.
• Compliance Training: Administrators can create and manage mandatory compliance training courses on topics such as workplace safety and diversity and inclusion, ensuring that employees are up to date with necessary certifications.
• Tracking and Reporting: Instructors can monitor learner progress, track course completion rates and compare assessment scores using informative data reports. These analytics help assess the effectiveness of training programs, identify areas of improvement and internalize changes to enhance employee performance.

Consider our guide for an overview of the software’s uses and applications in an enterprise or corporate situation.

Educational Institutions

With an LMS, schools can easily carry out the learning activities of a physical classroom in an online setting, and allow all students and teachers to stay connected no matter where they are.

Here are some ways an LMS can support educational programs and activities:

• Course Delivery: Teachers can upload lecture notes, slides, videos and other educational content online so students can access and review them even when they’re outside of the classroom.
• Academic Calendar: Administrators can manage and share important updates, such as assignment due dates, exam schedules and course registration periods, on an integrated calendar.
• Attendance Tracking: Teachers can use attendance tracking features to take virtual roll calls, monitor student participation in classes and record session activity.
• Parental Engagement: Some solutions offer a portal for parents to access information about their child's progress, including grades, homework, attendance records and feedback.

Government Agencies

Government institutions have similar needs to both corporate and educational environments, but with some key considerations. They can use an LMS to address a wide variety of needs, including:

• Enrolling and registering users in various campaigns, knowledge drives and other public welfare initiatives centered around learning and skills development.
• Providing microlearning content to users so they can retain knowledge more effectively.
• Launching certificate-based training programs on various topics like health and safety, cooking, foreign language and more.
• Making learning accessible for disabled users with features like text-to-sound conversion and screen resizing.
• Creating unique training pathways for each learner based on their skill sets, career objectives and personal interests.

Freelancers and Independent Learners

You don’t have to be affiliated with a specific organization or institution to use an LMS. In fact, a typical LMS comes with a range of tools and resources for learners who seek to acquire new knowledge to pursue personal interests or deepen their understanding and expertise in specific fields.

For example, lawyers, engineers and healthcare professionals seeking continuing education may use an LMS to fulfill licensing or certification requirements, or stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices. The software also offers continuous learning opportunities to lifelong learners who have a general interest in various fields, such as history, science and literature.

LMS and Learner Engagement

Evaluating employee engagement is crucial in assessing the impact of your skill-building programs. 44% of companies say it’s their top HR priority, just above attracting and retaining talent.

Here are some LMS features you can use to improve employee engagement in training:

• Gamification tools like badges, leaderboards and certificates to reward top-performing learners and promote healthy competition.
• Social learning activities like group discussions and common messaging channels.
• Blended learning models that combine classroom and online learning to suit different learning styles.
• Personalized learning paths to help underperforming individuals or those with special training needs.
• Multimedia content in the form of videos, images, text and audio so learners can engage with eLearning material in their preferred format.

Questions To Ask During Your Search

Use these questions as a starting point for conversation:

• Why is an LMS important to meet my training/educational needs?
• What types of training do I want to create?
• Am I interested in a standalone LMS or a more comprehensive HR tool? Do I need to integrate with a talent management system?
• Which features and capabilities are most important to my business?
• What’s my budget and implementation timeline?
• Will I need industry-specific configurations to meet sector-specific compliance and best practices?
• Do I need to add HR, time management, attendance or other functionality to the solution?
• Can the system be customized to fit my organization’s branding and specific requirements?
• What kind of mobile support does the software offer?
• Does the vendor offer 24/7 multi-language support during and after implementation?

FAQs

What is the most commonly used LMS?

Canvas, Blackboard Learn and Moodle are some of the most commonly used LMS platforms.

Is Google Classroom an LMS?

Yes, Google Classroom is a free online learning platform that integrates with G Suite applications

Is LMS a CRM?

No, an LMS isn’t a CRM. Both are distinct applications and can be integrated to work together.

Which was the first LMS?

The first LMS was EKKO, developed in 1991 by Norway's NKI Distance Education Network.

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