Learning management systems (LMS) play a central role in simplifying the distribution of online learning content for employees. These essential systems make courses accessible regardless of where learners are located.
An effective learning management system encourages collaboration outside the classroom and offers the flexibility to communicate based on each learner's preferences and availability for an enriched learning experience.
What is Continuing Education?
Continuing education is a form of adult education that enables lifelong learning. Many people seek further education, whether it be for their personal interests, ongoing training opportunities, or the need to develop a new skill to change careers or increase their salaries.
Many forms of continuing education require different levels of commitment from the individual. Some common continuing education opportunities include:
- Professional Certification: A professional certificate allows employees to deepen their knowledge in specialized fields. This type of certificate enables employees to qualify for high-demand jobs.
- Continuing Education Courses: These courses are typically offered by educational providers for those enrolled in non-credit classes. Continuing education courses offer training on a specific subject or skill and provide students with a certificate of completion at the end.
- Workshops and Online Seminars: Attending workshops and seminars are an excellent way to receive hands-on opportunities for individuals who want to develop a new skill. A workshop or seminar is typically led by an expert in the field.
How Are Continuing Education and LMSs Related?
Did you know that 40% of Fortune 500 companies use LMSs to remain competitive? Learning management systems are essential in helping employees hone their skills and grow in their roles. When companies prioritize closing the knowledge gaps with their employees, it provides them with a competitive edge that positions their company for long-term success.
An LMS is a software application designed to administer, document, track, report, and deliver courses or training programs. An effective learning management system helps instructors deliver material for students, conduct tests, track performance, and keep records.
58% of employees prefer to learn at their own pace. Learning management systems make it possible for employees to engage in self-paced learning in an online space. Self-paced learning is efficient because everyone learns differently. Employees can make the best use of their time to meet essential learning objectives. This explains why digital/online learning has grown by 900% since 2000.
How Do Learning Management Systems Help With Continuing Education?
Learning management systems aid in continuing education in many ways, including:
Ability to Design Different Learning Paths
There are many possible learning paths an employee can take, and this differs depending on the job, company, and industry. For companies to be successful, meeting the learning needs of each employee is the key to success. When learning a new skill, employees need clear learning objectives and milestones. But every employee does not retain information the same way or at the same pace.
For this reason, having one approach to learning isn't the most effective way to help employees retain new information. Learning styles vary from employee to employee. Learning management systems enable companies to create different learning paths, and let employees go at their own pace and on their own time. With an LMS, different courses can also be developed to create distinct learning paths that meet the needs of employees.
Online Training Resources That Can Be Accessed by Learners
Online training resources are easier and much more convenient for employees looking to expand their knowledge. While many companies invest in in-person training, online training resources are more affordable, easier to access, and deliver knowledge at the same level.
An online training resource is simply training material delivered through the internet. Online training provides virtual collaboration opportunities, is flexible, easily accessible, and offers a broad range of perspectives.
With the implementation of an LMS, companies can provide their employees with the online training content they need to be successful in their roles.
Engaging Content in Different Formats
Online learning comes in all styles and formats. Using multiple formats helps create a more enriched learning experience for employees, which increases information retention.
With the help of a learning management system, companies can provide learning in many formats, such as:
- Personalized Content: Companies can provide employees with personalized learning content in the form of tests, quizzes, training modules, and more.
- Webinars: Companies can organize live webinars from anywhere to stream to their employees and can store these webinars on the LMS so that they can be accessed and viewed at any time.
- Recorded Material: Businesses that are accustomed to in-person training will benefit from recording live training events and uploading them to their LMS for employees.
Certificates That Motivate Learners
Many employees participate in continuing education as part of their company requirements, and this is where an LMS comes in handy. However, a great percentage of people are also intrinsically motivated by personal achievement, and employers can take advantage of this with an LMS.
With an opportunity to earn a professional certificate, employees will be more motivated to learn new skills. A professional certificate doesn't just provide personal satisfaction though. It can also lead to a salary increase, promotion, and career development.
Video Integration
Learning management systems provide many tools to transfer information to employees. One particular tool is video integration. Video content is one of the most common eLearning tools to help bridge knowledge gaps for learners. Video content increases engagement among learners, leading to a more enriched learning experience.
Video on LMSs helps employees get more involved in the learning process, demonstrates methods more effectively, facilitates active learning, and is available on multiple devices.
Progress Indicators
Imagine you are reading an online blog, and you look to the top of your screen and see a progress bar. You’re officially halfway through the content! This reassures you, motivates you, encourages you, and informs you! According to Neil Patel, “Progress bars are effective because they appeal to our universal desire to move forward and provide tangible proof of progress.” It’s no different when progress indicators are available in your LMS.
A progress indicator in continuing education shows learners the status of their ongoing processes. To have the best learning experience, employees must be able to navigate their learning content and keep track of their progress. Ultimately, progress indicators inform, reassure and encourage employees.
With the use of progress indicators, learners will understand the full scope of the content in a course. Learners will also be able to navigate to content and source information they're looking for with ease. Progress indicators also make it easier for learners to measure their success in a course.
Intuitive User Interface
Retaining new information is only successful when the platform that learners use is easy and intuitive. For companies, implementing a learning management system offers the best opportunity to train employees in a digital space.
The right learning management system will be easy to understand and simple to navigate. This ensures that employees can learn quickly with minimal instruction.
Hosts Different Training Materials
Hosting different training materials means that companies can meet the needs of all types of learners. Learning management systems enables you to provide many different training materials. Some common materials include videos, eLearning courses, PowerPoint Presentations, and eBooks. With varied training materials, businesses can expect more engaged learners as they retain new information from multiple sources and in many formats..
Social Learning
Bandura's social learning theory states that one way people can learn is by observing others around them. For adult learners, social learning provides an additional way to retain information outside of an instructor-directed or self-directed learning environment. Social learning can occur through a variety of methods, including real-time activities within courses and content, feedback, and coaching interactions with instructors.
Enables Diverse Assessment Options & Customized Reporting
The right learning management system enables diverse assessment options and customized reporting. This allows companies and employees to test their knowledge and understand their strengths and weaknesses.
With an LMS, companies can set up personalized tests, provide exercises throughout the course, and one-to-one sessions to assess employees.
Diverse assessment options allow employees to prove their potential. One employee may not excel with a particular assessment option, but excels greatly on the same subject using another assessment option. Taking advantage of different assessment options allows you to get the most out of your employees, and lets your employees demonstrate their knowledge on a subject in a way that is comfortable for them.
Customized reporting is another feature of an LMS and serves as a great advantage for companies. Companies can evaluate their employees by tracking their progress, which makes it easy to spo and address problems in performance so that they can better reach their goals.
3 Benefits Learning Management Systems Have for Employers
Learning management systems serve as an invaluable tool for employers to develop new skills through continuing education, attract new employees, and retain talent. Here are three additional benefits of learning management systems:
Efficient Onboarding and Training
Did you know that great employee onboarding can improve employee retention by as much as 82%? Talent scarcity and high turnover are one of the biggest challenges that companies face.
But companies can overcome this challenge by implementing an efficient onboarding and training process through the help of an LMS. Today's workforce expects efficient and complete onboarding processes and training, and an LMS is a central part of this process.
Click here to read more on how LMSs improve onboarding and employee training.
Save Time and Money
According to a Brandon-Hall study, eLearning generally requires 40%-60% of an employee's time than the same material they'll learn in a traditional setting. Learning management systems lowers a company's bottom line by reducing training expenses. These systems also save time as it allows companies to create and deliver training content online, where employees can learn information at their own pace. By integrating an LMS, companies can improve their training and onboarding, which improves their return on investment.
Centralizes All Resources in One Place
89% of employees access LMS programs from desktops, 78% from their laptops, and 25% from their mobile devices. A learning management system enables employees to access content from multiple devices anywhere, 24/7.
Encourage Continuing Learning At Your Workplace with YesLMS
YesLMS fosters a culture of continuous learning to help companies identify existing skill gaps, identify learning opportunities, and refresh employees' critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Our learning management system provides different learning resources, supports formal and social learning, and is accessible to all learners at their own pace. YesLMS facilitates the development of an accessible and inclusive learning culture in your organization. If you're interested in accessible learning for education, development, and professional training, contact us today!
