By David Gewirtz for DIY-IT | August 28, 2020
Are you charged with transforming your entire learning or training program in a matter of weeks? Has COVID-19 created a new urgency for online training in your organization? Ours covers a dozen well-respected solutions that can put you on the right path. […]
In the context of our new normal, we present our guide of 12 very capable learning management systems, each of which provides a different take on managing learning. We’ll show you LMS solutions tailored to K-12 and higher education, LMS solutions aimed at the enterprise and SMBs, and even one that helps you sell your own courses (AbsorbLMS) and another that optimizes the ability to provide custom certifications (TalentLMS).
Blackboard – The reigning king of college learning management systems
Canvas – The open source LMS leader
Moodle – Open source LMS for those willing to maintain everything
Google Classroom – Google’s solution for learning management
SAP Litmos LMS – Corporate training with the pedigree of SAP
Adobe Captivate Prime – Learning management with all the power of Adobe
Schoology – A learning management system that excels at K-12
Docebo – A former GPL open source LMS that’s now a paid cloud service
Edmodo – A cloud-based LMS with a capable free tier
Brightspace – Full-featured cloud-based LMS with a deep commitment to accessibility
Absorb LMS – Business learning management with powerful SaaS integrations
TalentLMS – A strong free cloud LMS tier for SMB educators
Gewirtz goes no further than to suggest users use the free trial for each and have teachers and students evaluate them. What are the components of your evaluation matrix? Costs for licensing, development, implementation, etc., could perhaps be outlined. But there are risks: the novel user may be seduced by something shiny or the IT partners may have strong hosting and maintenance preferences! I would propose a kind of Occam’s razor: find the simplest system within identified parameters that allows the organization to reach the real user result. Do you know you need to maximize gamification to retain your audience? Do you have faculty or curricula that require a plethora of videos and maximum bandwidth? How customized does each course or lesson need to be? Finally, will the system scale to your growth target? -MW-
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