When LMS don’t operate at a high enough level, k-12 educators are faced with even more challenges than they already are, and in the current state of things, no one can afford that. So what should LMS k-12 provide in order to make educators’ jobs less stressful?
Educators aren’t satisfied
In the last year, Edsby (a k-12 learning management system), conducted a survey of educators on how they felt about their current learning management systems (LMS). The survey called “Grade Your LMS” found that over one-third of the respondents claimed to be dissatisfied with their LMS system.
So what features would the ideal LMS K-12 include?
When choosing an LMS K12 provider, educators should look out for these important characteristics, to ensure the best possible functionality and user experience.
Learning materials in one place
Even during times when active e-lesson isn’t in progress, LMS can still play a huge role in students’ engagement levels.
When important and helpful learning materials such as notes, videos, and instructions are easily accessible to students in one central, the odds of them taking advantage of those materials are increased. Further, increasing their chances of success and the better they will be prepared to complete a course.
The ability to Integrate
As technology advances, it’s becoming more and more important for LMS to have the ability to integrate seamlessly with other systems like talent management programs and association management software. Educators want and need to have their students’ learning information and course data, seamlessly integrated into other systems.
The option to test out
Sometimes, one of the biggest culprits of wasting time is misunderstanding what a student already knows.
When learners are offered the ability to test out of something they already have a great comprehension of, then they are rewarded with more time for continuing their education at a level that is correct for them. Most test-out options will give students the option to take part in and finish a final knowledge assessment, before moving on to the next level.
Automation of alerts and notifications
In order to save educators time and hassle, an LMS should come equipped with automated notifications. This is helpful when keeping track of learner progress, as it’s not always possible to constantly check up on valuable student data like engagement levels and course completions.
Receiving a notification when there’s been a change or a milestone passed will help educators keep up with each student’s individual learning curve
Data tracking capabilities
When educators are able to effectively track their students’ data, they can help those students in a much more personalized way. When students learning milestones and unique needs are analyzed and stored for later review, teachers and learning professionals can ensure that their students are getting the educational attention they need, when they need it.
LMS K-12 systems should be able to handle such data, while also categorizing training content
An array of assessment tools
Checking up on the learner’s engagement rate is of the utmost importance, but it’s not the only gauge to be checking on. A student’s comprehension and retention levels are equally important in providing students with the level of education they need.
It’s for this reason that tools like branching scenarios, exam engines, and simulations should all be included in an LMS K-12. Because, getting an instant understanding of where students stand, allows educators to give equally instant feedback.
Scheduling tools
Scheduling face-to-face meetings with an entire body of K-12 is no easy task, especially now thanks to the pandemic. One of the best ways to avoid scheduling issues is to provide all staff members access to an LMS K-12 with smart scheduling capabilities.
Things like employee training days can also easily be decided up with the help of flexible calendar planning through an integrated LMS K-12
Choosing the best LMS provider that checks all the necessary boxes
The process of choosing an LMS provider doesn’t need to be intimidating. Companies like LISTedTECH do all the heavy lifting for you, with high-tech data analysis of all the top LMS providers. LISTedTECH’s research, “is a great resource for getting information on the most recent implementations and acquisitions in Higher Education and K-12.”
Setting your institution or classroom up for success is considerably easier and more effective when you have all the right tools to help educators do so.
When we give educators the right tools for the job, everyone wins. Because in order to reach the students’ needs, we first need to focus on educators.
