How to Fully Utilise Your Learning Management System (LMS)?

The global Learning Management market is a fast-growing market. In a recent article published by the Fortune Business Insights, the current market value of USD 8.7 Billion is projected to increase by at least 3 times, reaching USD 29.7 Billion by 2026. This indicates that different industries are beginning to emphasise on learning and development. Whilst onboarding a Learning Management System (LMS) of choice can be a relatively simple process, keeping it up and running effectively may be quite challenging. In this article, we will take a look into the three different roles that power the effective utilisation of an LMS: LMS Administrator, Learning Consultant and Content Creator.

LMS Administrator

An LMS administrator is a must-have. This role determines how well the system can be utilized. Like a mechanic to a car, a good LMS administrator knows every nook and cranny of the LMS. The role is needed since day-one of the LMS rollout. This role is usually shouldered by operational staff, people whose strengths are working in a structured and organized manner.

The main responsibility of the administrator is to administer learning to the target audience and to manage learner’s requests. They are the first point of contact for learners – addressing requests and questions on LMS functions as well as contents.

A typical day for the administrator would entail learning objects administration and registration management. In other words, uploading learning materials, packaging different trainings into a single curriculum, setting up virtual classroom, assigning eLearn to target audience, enrolling learners into mandatory virtual classroom, etc. Every now and then, the administrator will have to update the automated system email notifications and might even have to troubleshoot user data issues.

To be successful in this role, the LMS administrator needs to have a thorough understanding of what the system is capable of. Knowing its functionalities and constraints will enable the administrator to provide effective methods in managing both the system as well as the users. Simply put, make the LMS work for you and not the other way around.

Learning Consultant

A Learning Consultant is a should-have. This role determines the learning journey and the experience that learners would have. If the administrator is the mechanic, then the Learning Consultant would be the track designer. This role is usually taken up by Subject Matter Experts who are familiar with learning designs.

This is a creative role that serves as the bridge that connects business needs with learning. Ideally, the consultant should be onboarded on day-one, but it is possible for the LMS administrator to partially shoulder the consultant’s responsibilities until the business is ready to upscale its talent development effort.

The main responsibility of the Learning Consultant is to design the learning content, delivery, and experience. The Consultant first identifies the knowledge needed, designs (or curates) the content for the learning to take place, then chooses an effective way to deliver the learning, and lastly, designs the overall learning experience.

A typical day would consist of engaging business stakeholders to identify knowledge gaps, designing programs, curating content, and deciding on the learning delivery method. On top of that, the Learning Consultant will also keep track of the evaluation data and continuously revise the program for effectiveness. Occasionally, the consultant would engage external vendors to provide learning sessions on topics of interest identified by the business.

To be successful in this role, the Learning Consultant should be closely connected with business leaders and stakeholders, in order to identify the present and future needs of the business. This is to ensure that efforts in upskilling the employees can be achieved in a timely manner, even to the extent of future-proofing the workforce. The consultant should also work closely with the LMS administrator to provide the best results with the least administrative effort.

Content Creator

A Content Creator is nice-to-have. This role ensures that the content in the LMS is relatable and relevant. It is a creative role which requires specific technical skills for content creation. The role usually becomes a viable option when the L&D team is ready to produce content.

The main responsibility of the Content Creator is to produce effective learning content. That would cover designing interactive online courses as well as intuitive graphic visuals that support learning. It would be ideal if the Content Creator is able to produce videos, whether it is through recording or animation.

A typical day for this role would be working with Learning Consultants to design content, providing technical advice, and producing content. He will also work closely with Subject Matter Experts in the business to ensure that content is accurate and localised.

To be successful in this role, the Content Creator needs to be familiar with interactive learning concepts and instructional design. While technical capabilities in content creation tools is a given, it is instrumental for the Content Creator to possess project management skills to ensure that content creation is managed in a structured and timely manner.

Conclusion

Like a race car, the team decides how far and how fast it goes. Likewise, LMS is a powerful tool, but it is up to you to gain the most mileage out of it. While this article has shed light on the different roles you could adopt to maximise LMS usage, there is no hard and fast rule on how you should go about it. That said, what are your thoughts? What would be your strategy?

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