7.3: Features of Corporate Learning Management Systems
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The major business-oriented LMSs manage classroom and blended learning as well as e-learning, and are intended to function as the full registration systems for corporate training departments. Some of the larger ones such as SumTotal Systems, Saba and GeometrixTraining Partner actually evolved from registration systems. A few very basic corporate LMSs manage only e-learning, and then usually only for pre-packaged, self-directed courses.
Corporate LMSs usually offer the following features:
Classroom course management:
- registration
- course scheduling and set-up (instructors, facilities, equipment)
- email status notification
- tracking.
E-learning management:
- registration
- delivery
- email status notification
- tracking
- interoperability with third-party and custom courseware
- testing and evaluation
- communication tools.
Blended learning management combines e-learning course content with classroom activities and communication tools such as discussion groups and virtual classrooms.
Support for e-learning standards such as AICC (Aviation Industry Computer-based training Committee) and SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference Model) to enable interoperability between third-party courseware and the LMS and between different LMSs. These standards do not guarantee the interoperability, but they are a step in the right direction. The origin of many of these standards come from engineering, the airline industry, and the US military who operate on a corporate training model, so they are less relevant to education courseware, but may help if you are switching platforms or making courses available to others using different platforms. See Appendix D, Course Authoring Tool Features, and Chapter 17, E-learning Standards.
Competency and performance management:
- Identify needed competencies for individuals and groups in order to perform the necessary work.
- Track performance for both individuals and groups and identify where improved performance is needed.
- Link to human resource systems. This is another feature not directly relevant to an education environment.
Reporting and analytics:
- Ability to generate reports on participation, assessments, etc.
- Includes standard and custom reports.
- Reports generated in graphical form.
- Financial analysis.
- Survey generation and analysis.
- Regulatory compliance tracking.
Multiple language support: Multinational corporations usually require different languages. Many LMSs provide for multiple languages now, but this does not necessarily include true localization which requires adaptation of the content and design to fit local cultures. True localization is far more extensive than translation and requires substantial additional work.
The following functions are usually offered as separate capabilities or as part of a suite. Often the course authoring and web conferencing tools are supplied by separate vendors.
- Course development/authoring: A means of creating online courses. Many of the tools used in business are designed for creating interactive, self-directed courses complete with tests and assessments. Examples of such tools include Authorware, ToolBook, Lectora, ReadyGo, and Outstart Trainer. Other tools offer so called rapid e-learning development—conversion of Word, PowerPoint, etc. documents into interactive courseware. Examples include Articulate, Elicitus, Impatica and KnowledgePresenter.
- Virtual classrooms/Web conferencing: Synchronous instructor-led classes over the Web. Tools include Microsoft Live Meeting, Elluminate, Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional (formerly Macromedia Breeze), LearnLinc, Webex, Interwise and Saba Centra.
- Learning content management/learning object repository: A means of storing developed courseware in learning object repositories (databases) so that it can be retrieved and reused. In addition to suites offered by the major LMS vendors, notable others include Eedo, Chalk Media Chalkboard, and Cornerstone OnDemand.
One of the main distinguishing features between corporate and education LMSs is that for most business LMSs provide fairly complete registration systems for classroom instruction as well as e-learning. Full scale registrations usually already exist in educational institutions.
LMSs sometimes offer e-commerce capabilities that allow both internal and external people to pay for courses. These features for managing both classroom instruction and e-commerce are not usually part of education LMSs. The exceptions to this rule are Blackboard, which does offer a commerce solution for educational institutions, and Moodle, which integrates with PayPal for this purpose.
In the corporate environment, there is a great deal of reliance on pre-packaged, self-directed courses. Many of these will likely be generic courseware available from such suppliers as SkillSoft, Thomson NETg (Skillsoft now owns NETg), ElementK, and others. The off-the-shelf courseware usually covers such topics as information technology (IT) skills, communication skills, business processes, and sales training. In most cases there is also the need for custom courseware for training on proprietary products and solutions, and unique situations. It is extremely important that the LMS can work with all possible third-party courseware and tools used to create custom courseware.
Most corporate LMSs are limited in their use of communication tools. Unlike education LMSs, there is no assumption that an instructor will be available via email. This will probably change somewhat as businesses recognize the value of communication tools, communities of practice, mentoring, blogs, wikis, etc.
As corporate LMSs expand their capabilities, they begin to overlap with human resources functions, with terms like performance management, human capital management and talent management becoming frequently used by the major vendors.
The major vendors of corporate LMSs are:
- Generation21
- GeoLearning
- GeoMetrix Training Partner
- Intelladon
- KnowledgePlanet
- Learn.com
- OutStart
- Plateau
- Saba
- SumTotal Systems
These are the ten largest vendors in the corporate LMS market. Open-source systems are not yet a major factor in the corporate environment, but as Linux becomes more popular this may change.
As with any enterprise software system purchases, there are generally two approaches—“best-of-breed” in which companies look for the best possible tools in each category, and the single vendor approach in which all the tools are obtained from a singe vendor. The former can give the organization all the functions it needs while creating some integration challenges in getting the tools to work with each other. The latter will probably simplify integration, but may sacrifice some functionality.
Tip
Business LMSs typically include classroom registration features and do not include course development tools. Education LMSs are just the opposite. Education LMSs are also strong on communication tools.
For a detailed comparison of the features of education and corporate LMSs, see Appendix A, LMS Comparison Matrix.
Tip
Corporate LMSs tend to be very expensive for an educational environment but some of the more modestly priced ones may be suitable, particularly in a continuing education application where registration and e-commerce features may be needed.
Standards
E-learning standards
Technical, design, and accessibility standards for e-learning are in a constant state of flux. Technical standards continue to be developed to provide for compatibility between systems and courseware, and for the definition and use of learning objects. See Appendix B, Standards Bodies and Links, for a list of standards bodies and links. Several different international organizations are working on these standards. The AICC (Aviation Industry Computer-based Training Committee) standard was developed more than 10 years ago when the aviation industry (one of the early adopters) recognized the problem of interoperability among systems. SCORM (Shareable Content Repository Reference Model) is a collection of technical standards for different purposes. It is developed by the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) initiative of the US Department of Defense. SCORM was begun in 1997, and the standards continue to evolve. Many LMS vendors and courseware vendors claim to be standards-conformant, but that does not yet guarantee that the systems will be interoperable. Some course designers are against standards altogether, claiming that it constrains creativity and the facilitation of learning.
Instruction design Standards
At least as important as technical standards is the quality of the instructional design. Instructional design certification is offered by ASTD (American Society for Training and Development. “Designed for asynchronous Web-based and multimedia courses, the E-Learning Courseware Certification (ECC) recognizes courses that excel in usability and instructional design”. (American Society for Training and Development, n.d., para. 4)
ISPI (International Society for Performance Improvement) offers numerous publications and awards addressing design standards for e-learning.
E-learning design can also be certified by eQcheck. “The eQcheck is designed to ensure that a product will give satisfactory performance to the consumer. The standards on which the eQcheck is based are the Canadian Recommended E-Learning Guidelines—the Can-REGs, published and copyrighted by FuturEd Inc. and the Canadian Association for Community Education (2002)” (eQcheck, n.d., para. 2).
Accessibility standards
These relate directly to general Web accessibility, particularly for the visually impaired. The initiative is led by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium ( http://www.w3.org/WAI/ ). There is also the Web Standards Project, which “is a grassroots coalition fighting for standards which ensure simple, affordable access to web technologies for all.” ( http://www.webstandards.org/ ). In the US, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires access to electronic and information technology procured by Federal agencies. See Chapter 11, Accessibility and Universal Design, where this is discussed extensively.
Tip
Claims of standards conformance do not yet guarantee interoperability. Tools and courseware should be tested with the LMS to be sure.