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What Is a Learning Management System (LMS)?

What is a Learning Management System (LMS)?
E-learning is fast emerging as a low-cost, effective solution to imparting education to students at diverse locations. It is also becoming a viable alternative for organizations to conduct training programs for their employees on a continuous basis at reasonable cost and minimal disruption of company operations. The global e-learning industry has recently been estimated to be worth around 38 billion Euros and with the advances in Internet and multimedia technology the market can only increase substantially. Online training software has also developed to a considerable degree, facilitating the process of learning online.

Learning Management System (LMS)
Online training software is commonly referred to as Learning Management System or LMS. LMS is a software application which is used for the tracking, documentation and administration of training programs. It is also used for classroom and online events, content and e-learning courses. These systems are suitable for educational and corporate requirements. While the LMS for these two sectors may have common elements, they obviously provide for very specific, unique needs of each. The Virtual learning Environment (VLE) used by educational institutions permits instructors to manage programs and also interact with students for an online course which would last for some months, whereas the training or other program in an organization may be much shorter, perhaps even comprising of one session.

Learning Content Management System (LCMS)
The Learning Content Management System or LCMS is another online training software that deals with the development, management and uploading of the content, which would be delivered through the LMS. The LMS cannot create content or modify courses and programs or use the content of one course and utilize it to construct another one. It is the LCMS software application that is used for this purpose. In the LCMS, there may be many users including developers who create, store, manage, edit, deliver and again reuse the digital learning content from a central data system.

Software
There are several kinds of such online training software, depending upon the need of the particular training or e-learning program. There is one software package which combines e-learning courses based on PowerPoint together with interactive content, quizzes, assessments and surveys. Even users with not much of a technical background would be able to put together professional, interactive e-learning programs easily, quickly and effectively.

Another online e-learning software provides tools to create computer-based, interactive courses with Adobe Flash. These courses can be created in your browser or your desktop, then can be uploaded on the web or the Learning Management System. These e-learning tools help instructional designers and content creators to put across Flash-based training programs, with games, quizzes and other components relevant to the learning pattern of the particular course.