All about Learning Management Systems

A Learning Management System (LMS) is a software environment for learning and learner management. They allow students to access learning content from anywhere online via a web browser, and administrators to manage students, classes and courses. LMSs are used by a wide range of learning providers, including universities, private language schools and corporate training providers. They can be used to provide self-contained distance learning courses, or to enhance and support classroom-based learning.

There are a wide range of LMSs, from freely-available open source platforms such as the well-know Moodle, to commercial LMSs such as Blackboard. All of the major LMSs support a standard known as SCORM, which allows third-party content providers, such as Macmillan, to provide content that can simply be ‘plugged-in’ to work seamlessly with the LMS.