This is an acronym for Learning Management System, e.g., Blackboard, which functions chiefly to help educators provide educational instructions to students while assessing them via online means. An LMS can be personalized/adapted to suit the needs of the educator and students alike.
Using an LMS offers a multitude of benefits in a school setting. Some important ones include the following:
Efficient distribution of class materials: By using an LMS to share class materials, all students – whether they’re learning remotely or in class – can have access to the lessons, including resources, objectives, and activities. Textbooks can also be shared online through software applications.
Availability of resources in different formats: Educators can disseminate resources in a diverse range of formats. They can gather multiple resources on a skill or topic that will help students understand the content in a way that suits them.
Parental access to assessment dates and class schedules: Parents and guardians can access their kids’ assessment dates, class schedules, class outlines, etc. This creates opportunities for meaningful conversations between teachers and parents/guardians regarding students’ performance and activities.
Diverse assessment options: Teachers can conduct assessments in multiple formats using an LMS. Multiple choices, short quizzes, etc., provide the opportunity to offer immediate feedback. Educators can also reference external sites to use topics or questions from them. Students can upload their work in different formats, including videos, podcasts, or screencasts.
Transparent feedback: Feedback from educators for summative and formative assessments can be easily shared with students through an LMS. Feedback can also be sent to parents and stored in the LMS so students can easily access them later.
Tracking student data: Teachers can use the LMS to store data from student attendance and assessments. It helps them easily identify the students who need additional support. Similarly, they can identify gifted students and those who are talented in multiple subjects.
Cost-effective strategy: Schools can save a substantial amount of money in the long run by implementing an LMS. While the price of the solution goes up depending on the scale of a school’s system, it helps to cut costs in several aspects.
Deeper insights: An LMS provides deep insights that help educators and schools make informed decisions. It also gives deeper insights into students’ overall performance – much more than attendance, grades, and performance reviews. The system can analyze students’ past records and extracurricular activities and generate detailed reports, which help schools and educators track the students’ overall progress.
