A learning management system (LMS) is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of educational courses or training programs. They help the instructor deliver material to the students, administer tests and other assignments, track student progress, and manage record-keeping. LMSs support a range of uses, from supporting classes that meet in physical classrooms to acting as a platform for fully online courses, as well as several hybrid forms, such as blended learning and flipped classrooms.
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History
The history of the application of computers to education is filled with broadly descriptive terms such as computer-based instruction (CBI), computer-assisted instruction (CAI), and computer-assisted learning (CAL), generally describing drill-and-practice programs, more sophisticated tutorials, and more individualized instruction, respectively. LMS has its history in other terms, computer-managed instruction (CMI), and integrated learning systems (ILS) which offers additional functionality beyond instructional content such as management and tracking, more personalized instruction, and integration across the system. The term ILS was originally coined by Jostens Learning, and CMI was originally used to describe the PLATO Learning Management system (PLM) developed in the 1970s by Control Data Corporation for the PLATO system of computer-based instruction, content-free and separate from the courseware. FirstClass by SoftArc, which the United Kingdom's Open University used in the 1990s and 2000s to deliver online learning across Europe, is often identified as the first modern learning management system, though it was released decades after PLATO's PLM CMI/LMS system. The term is currently used to describe a number of different educational computer applications.
Purpose
An LMS delivers and manages instructional content, and typically handles student registration, course administration, and tracking, and reporting of student work. Some LMSs help identify progress towards learning or training goals. Most LMSs are web-based, to facilitate access. LMSs are often used by regulated industries (e.g. financial services and biopharma) for compliance training. Some LMS providers include "performance management systems", which encompass employee appraisals, competency management, skills-gap analysis, succession planning, and multi-rater assessments (i.e., 360 degree reviews). Some systems support competency-based learning.
Though there are a wide variety of terms for digital aids or platforms for education, such as course management systems, virtual or managed learning platforms or systems, or computer-based learning environment, the term learning management system has become the ubiquitous term for products that help administer or deliver part or all of a course.
Technical aspects
Most LMSs are web-based. There are a variety of integration strategies for embedding content into LMS's, including SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) and LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability). LMS's were originally designed to be locally hosted on-premise, where the organization purchases a license to a version of the software, and installs it on their own servers and network. Many LMSs are also offered as SaaS (software as a service), with hosting provided by the vendors.
Learning management industry
In the higher education market as of fall 2013, Blackboard is the leading provider with 41% market share, with Moodle (23%), Desire2Learn (11%) and Instructure being the next three largest providers. Kannu is a new system launched in 2015 directly geared towards art, music and design schools. In the corporate market, the six largest LMS providers constitute approximately 50% of the market, with SuccessFactors Learning, Saba Software, Voniz Inc and SumTotal Systems being the four largest providers. Vendors focused on mid-sized companies (200+ employees) include Halogen Software, ADP, and Workday.
In addition to the remaining smaller LMS product vendors, training outsourcing firms, enterprise resource planning vendors, and consulting firms all compete for part of the learning management market. Approximately 40 percent of US training organizations reported that they have an LMS installed, a figure that has not changed significantly over the past two years. Another service related to LMS comes from the standardized test preparation vendors, where companies such as Princeton Review or BenchPrep offer online test prep courses.
Most buyers of LMSs utilize an authoring tool to create their educational content, which is then hosted on an LMS. In many cases LMSs include a primitive authoring tool for basic content manipulation. For advanced content creation, buyers must choose an authoring software package that integrates with their LMS in order for their content to be hosted. There are authoring tools on the market which meet AICC and SCORM standards and therefore content created in tools such as these can be hosted on an AICC or SCORM certified LMS. By May 2010, ADL had validated 301 SCORM-certified products while 329 products were compliant.
Evaluation of LMSs is a complex task and significant research supports different forms of evaluation, including iterative processes where students’ experiences and approaches to learning are evaluated.
With the recent technology and web application advancement, a new generation of LMSs have emerged which have some new features that include: open, social, personal, flexible, learning analytics, and mobile.