How Learning Management Systems Change the Education Market
Virtually all industries today are receiving one kind of disruption or the other and for the education market, learning management systems have brought the most change. According to a recent report released by The National Centre for Education Statistics, came up with the following insights as to how learning management systems are changing education today:
- There is increased research into the role technology is playing in education
- Policy makers and educators are focusing on increasing the adaptation an d application of technology in education
- Developing successful educational technology practices can elevate the value of educational experiences
- It is everybody’s responsibility to play their part in successfully integrating technology into learning, teaching, and assessment
Learning management systems are one of the largest and most significant technology advancements after the internet. However, what are they?
What is a Learning Management System?
An LMS is a software tool that is used in the delivery of learning and training materials the end users, who are the learners. The learning management systems allow instructors and facilitators to deliver the content in a much effective way.
The learning management systems also allow them to monitor learner participation and assess performance. LMSs today have shifted all the activities employed in the traditional classrooms and made them available online.
Offline learning is still the most preferred mode of learning in the education market, but the learning management systems are multiplying benefits to the learners, facilitators, and the institutions.
Moreover, LMSs are no longer solely applied in education facilities, but are an important part of the corporate training and development.
Impact of Learning Management Systems in Education Market
The impact of the learning management systems in the education market is undeniable and with continuous technological advancements, the more impact LMSs will continue to have. Here are various ways that the learning management systems have transformed the education market.
Technology Adoption
Technology has been disrupting hundreds of industries and markets, and this has seen global players relinquish their market share to start-ups and medium sized companies. For example, the inclusion of technologies such as machine learning, AI, augmented reality, and virtual reality has ensured that the learners get a personalised learning experience.
What this means for the traditional education market is that learners will prefer attending institutions that allow them access to the training and education materials on online platforms. On top of this, the inclusion of technology has ensured the increase in the revenue collected by education institutions.
Creates Convenience
Two decades ago when the internet bubble was yet to burst, only a few people had access to learning management systems. Over time, we have seen LMS developers and designers move from making learning management systems for use on computers only, to include responsive designs for the LMSs.
This has created convenience since learners can now access the training materials from anywhere in the world. This convenience is also increasing the completion of courses and thus more revenue for the stakeholders in the education market.
Moreover, there is technology that is used to monitor the learners when undertaking the assessments, which will improve trust in the whole e-Learning process. For example, there are special headsets that are shipped to the learner and they have a camera with a 360-degree view of the assessment environment.
Online Communities
Learning management systems have allowed learners and facilitators alike to create and join
communities for discussing new methodologies and to interact with each other. For example, there is a robust online coding community where newbies can get guidance while intermediary and advanced coders challenge each other to improve their skills.
It was virtually impossible to find communities where the members of the same profession could interact are not bounded by geographical restrictions; this means that the education market will grow to enormous proportions.
Better Involvement Of facilitators and learners
For the education sector to thrive, both the learners and the facilitators ought to be in sync to make access to information easy. Learning management systems has changed this aspect of education in that they can act as support and a communication channel for both facilitators.
This not only creates convenience, but virtual campuses are now a reality where learners from all over the world can attain their certification from a school, or trainer in another part of the world.
Enhanced Just-In-Time Learning
The concept of just-in-time learning means that the learners can access the training materials when and wherever they need it. They can use a wide range of content ranging from videos, texts, web-based tutorials, quizzes and more.
This allows the education market to grow its content bases and the more people read the easier it becomes to identify the mistakes and anomalies in the content. Moreover, learning management systems have brought about the concept of flipped classrooms, which is a combination of e-Learning and traditional method of learning.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that learning management platforms are changing the education market. They have disrupted the industry, and with increased technological advancements, it is only a matter of time before we see a paradigm shift in how learners gain access to training information and undertake their assessments.