Learning Management System Matchmaker: Deal Breaker Edition
Finding the perfect learning management system (LMS) is a tough job. What is it about a successful LMS that your association should be looking for? Here are the deal breakers and what to avoid.
Finding the perfect learning management system (LMS) is a tough job. There are so many options out there – some are flashy and have all the bells and whistles. Others are smaller, with less functionality. There are also plenty in between. After listening to sales pitches and sitting in on demos, time and time again, you start to wonder, “Are we ever going to find the right match for us?”
Your association is likely made up of a diverse group of members. Each of these members is at a different point in his or her career, has a variety of needs, and their technology comfort levels are all over the map.
Taking all of this into account, finding a great LMS for your association can be a lot to take on. Where do you even start? What is it about a successful LMS that your association should be looking for?
LMS Deal Breakers
In any relationship, there are always “deal breakers.” These deal breakers play a vital role in the relationship’s success or failure. The same holds true with your LMS relationship.
Some potential deal breakers for an LMS include:
- Bad first impressions: Don’t choose an LMS that will leave a bad impression with your members the first time they visit. Understanding their learning needs will help you avoid this.
- Poor communication: Find an LMS that can integrate with your existing systems. Poor communication among systems can create havoc for members.
- Unavailable: An unavailable LMS will only lead to lack of learning and participation from your members. Find a system that’s accessible any time on any device.
- High-maintenance: A high-maintenance LMS can cause a list of problems for your IT department. A successful LMS will have the ability for your admins to quickly and easily create and edit courses for your members.
- Boring: A boring LMS can be a major pitfall. If your members are bored, why should they come back for more? Look for a system with ample interactive capabilities such as community learning, chat forums, polls, and quizzes.
- Unsupportive: An unsupportive LMS can spell disaster for both you and your members. Support is key to creating a successful learning environment for your members. A system with ample technical support can free up your time to focus more on your members instead of the technology.
To alleviate some of the stress and time in hunting down the perfect LMS, we’ve created a checklist for each of these “deal breakers” within our “LMS Matchmaker: Deal Breaker Edition” guide. These checklists dive deep into each deal breaker and provide more information regarding what to look for and what to watch out for when hunting for your ideal LMS.
This guide was created to help you weed out the LMS potentials that aren’t going to be able to meet your expectations and help you focus in on the system that really fits your needs – a system that gives you everything you want, and much more.