Learning Management Systems

The learning management system (LMS) is "the operating system" for e-learning in the enterprise. At a minimum, it automates the administration of training events: handling course schedules and registrations; delivering learning content; facilitating communication among learners and between learners and instructors; and tracking and reporting on learners' progress and test scores. It is designed to handle courses from multiple providers.

There are dozens of companies offering server-based LMSs. Examples of "pure play" providers (companies which do not develop content) are Saba, Blackboard, and Click2Learn. Companies providing content, in addition to their own LMS, include DigitalThink and SmartForce. In addition to licensing software and servers, many LMS vendors also operate as application service providers (ASPs). While the perfect LMS is still evolving, W.R. Hambrecht & Company states that, in order to be successful, vendors must meet the market demand for functionality, scalability, interoperability, customizability, and flexibility.

Systems are being developed which manage the actual content associated with e-learning. Specifically, they deliver and track the learning objects comprising courses or growing databases of "just-in-time" learning material. Some LMSs are being enhanced with "learning content management system" (LCMS) functionality. In other cases, the functionality is being offered on a dedicated server (Centra is a company offering such a product). All providers of LCMS functionality are developing compliance with the evolving content object standards, like AICC and SCORM (see below).

The next generation of LMSs is likely to contain some content assembly and authoring tools.³ "Adaptive learning" and "intelligent tutoring" functionality is also being gradually incorporated.⁴ Adaptive learning dynamically adjusts instructional content and tests according to the learner's proficiency. Intelligent tutoring technology, still emerging, uses the science of human cognition to develop complex models and rules-based systems intended to provide more in-depth instruction to learners, including answering the learner's questions.

Interfaces from LMSs to human resource information systems (HRIS) are enabling more extensive evaluation and planning regarding employee learning and productivity. Tie-ins to enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, like those from PeopleSoft and SAP, and customer resource management (CRM) systems, like Siebel, are also being developed. In addition, the future will see new interfaces with wireless and e-commerce applications.