If you’re having issues with your current learning management solution, you’re not alone. Often, organizations trust LMS solutions that offer some, but not all, of the benefits they need. Using the wrong learning platform is a misplaced investment in a solution that will continue to miss the mark on the results you are looking for.
If you want your learning solution to have a true impact on your learners and your productivity, it’s important to be aware of some common learning management system issues that you could face. When you have an idea of what could go wrong, you have ample opportunity to choose a solution that will address these specific issues and lead to positive results.
We’ve created a detailed guide to help you identify how traditional learning management systems compare to an advanced online learning platform. Let’s dive into four of the common learning management system issues your organization and your learners could encounter, and find out what features you need that extend beyond those offered by a traditional LMS.
1. Reporting
Traditional LMS solutions tend to boil learners’ performance down to simple scores on exams or quizzes. While these numbers might offer helpful insight into a learner’s performance on a single day, these scores might not be a comprehensive representation of progress or challenge areas. Thus, more extensive reporting capabilities are needed to give administrators and learners alike a deeper understanding of learning solution effectiveness.
There are two features you should look for in a solution that outperforms a traditional LMS: the type of data that is collected and the way that data is presented in reports.
First, it’s imperative that you adopt a solution that tracks more than just a final score on an exam. With a top online learning solution, you can benefit from advanced data techniques. Traditional LMS options only track learners’ scores. With advanced learning solutions of today, providers can track every click a student makes, compiling all of those data points to help identify patterns, like student strengths and weaknesses. These are insights far beyond simple test scores, and they enable learners to be put on customized learning paths based on the results of these reports.
Next, common learning management system issues often arise with the types of reports that can be generated in regard to learner performance. Instead of flexible, customizable reports, traditional LMS solutions typically provide a limited number of predesigned reports that don’t allow for administrative input. With customized report capabilities, you can pinpoint trends in solution usage, learner retention, lesson effectiveness, and user comprehension.
2. Availability
Traditional LMS options offer little in terms of convenience and accessibility. Today’s learners spend more time on their mobile phones or tablets than sitting at desktop or laptop computers. In fact, about 20% of millennials don’t use desktop computers at all, choosing mobile devices instead. Therefore, learning solutions should be provided on mobile devices, to effectively meet learners’ expectations for mobile-friendly experiences.
With greater availability of a solution, users can better work learning into their busy professional lives, leading to greater learner success. Instead of sitting in front of a computer for non-flexible blocks of time to work with a traditional LMS option, a more advanced learning solution with mobile capabilities allows users to work wherever they are – at their desk, in their home, or on the bus.
Mobile usage, beyond convenience, also better facilitates microlearning – bite-sized learning over short periods of time. Studies show that microlearning is 17% more effective in terms of learner retention. Using a mobile device, learners can easily access the solution, complete a few lessons, and return to their work and daily responsibilities. With an e-learning solution that can help you translate your content into accessible, bite-sized portions, your learners benefit both from the improved delivery and the improved convenience.
3. Scalability
Implementing a scalable learning solution is important for sustained long-term success. Rapid growth or decline can make it hard to build and manage your own software solutions. It can also make it difficult for traditional LMS options to keep up.
Among the common learning management system issues, scalability is the one that could have the most impact on your bottom line. Picture a scenario where you build and manage your own learning system. When the system is built, your company has 500 employees. Just a few months after the solution has been implemented, with a large time commitment and a lot of labor cost, you acquire another company. With this merger, your workforce doubles. Now, the hardware and software that could once bear the burden of 500 seats, doesn’t have the capacity for 1,000+ seats, requiring you to reinvest in new hardware.
A scenario regarding business decline can be costly, as well. If you suddenly lose a major account and lay off half of your employees, the investment in a large-scale learning solution is no longer necessary. Both options require you to dedicate employee time and resources to implementing and updating the solution, leading to high upfront and ongoing costs.
These same issues can follow you if you adopt an outdated LMS, as well. Scaling your account might come at a great cost in increased subscription fees or lost productivity time while you wait for the provider to make changes. When you choose a learning solution that extends beyond the limitations of a traditional LMS, scaling your solution – up or down – is instantaneous. There are no impediments to your productivity or interruptions to the learning cycle.
4. Implementation
Most software adoptions are met with groans and dread from company leaders and employees alike. In a world where 55% of software implementation projects fail, adopting a new software solution, regardless of the purpose can come with challenges. As implementation is one of the most common learning management system issues, it is vital that you consider the implementation process prior to adopting a new solution.
With LMS options of the past, implementation could be a long, expensive, and inconvenient process. Cloud solutions, however, make this much easier. Once the solution has been customized to your company’s needs and your content has been uploaded, the learning solution is ready for use relatively soon thereafter.
Another aspect of the implementation process that can be a common learning management system issue is inadequate training provided to your administrators. Prior to choosing a solution provider, verify that they can create custom help desks and training programs to ensure everyone is able to use the platform at maximum proficiency.
In addition to implementation, integration with other systems can be a challenge, too. Many businesses want to integrate their learning solutions with human resource or other systems that are already in use. As part of the implementation process, it is wise to discuss integration capabilities with the learning solution provider you choose.
While these common learning management system issues may seem daunting to address, the right solution provider and an advanced digital learning solution can help you avoid these issues. Adopting a new solution doesn’t have to be painful, unprofitable, or unpleasant.
Learn more about how BenchPrep offers benefits beyond those of traditional LMS option in our free LMS Comparison Guide.
