LMS Satisfaction Rates and Learning Strategies

With any new technology comes bumps in the road, especially one that changes an entire industry as we know it. Learning Management Systems have had their bumps and many vendors are very open to constructive criticism. Instead of hiding the facts and pretending that the LMS is at it’s most perfect version, many LMS vendors are willing to share the negative feedback as well as the positive. Learning from your clients about their wants and expectations is the best way to learn how to satisfy them.

In a 2010 research report named “Getting Started with Learning Management Systems” Patt Shank cited some important statistics about the satisfaction levels of LMS users:

-More than one third of the 909 survey respondents feel that the LMS can be an “impediment to learning.”

-About 62% of respondents claimed that their LMS lives up to the promises their vendors had made.

-Most respondents spent, on average, two to six months on each phase of implementation, except for administration, which usually took even longer.

With these statistics, it’s hard to find where the true problem lies. Are the vendors at fault? Or could it be the products or clients are to blame? In most cases, it could be a combination of the three. A recent study performed by Gary Kranz may shed some light on the dissatisfaction of LMSs. Kranz cited his findings in the February 2011 issue of Workforce Magazine Online in his article: “eLearning Hits its Stride.” These findings include:

-The fact that more than 70% of enterprise organizations (otherwise known as multi-unit corporations) use a Learning Management System

-Of those companies with an LMS, fewer than 20% have a formal, documented learning strategy

-Of those 20% with a learning strategy, only 7% have a content sub-strategy

Could an organized learning strategy be the answer to many of these clients problems? It’s very possible. Having a formal learning strategy could solve the problem for many clients, or at least begin to solve the problem.

So where do you start? First, you’ll need to do your homework. Ask around, look online and contact your vendor to see if you could benefit from creating or even recreating your strategy.

Start by creating a clear vision of your strategy based on a company or department consensus. From there, be able to recognize your threats and weaknesses and try to reduce or eliminate their influence on your strategy. Create an effective education model by incorporating both traditional and new learning content in your LMS while remaining aware of your business needs and how they are or are not being met with your strategy.

An LMS alone can only do so much for your organization. Taking control of your company’s unique business and educational needs will need to be your role as the administrator. Incorporating an effective learning strategy into your education plan may be all your company needs to go from ‘good’ to ‘great’.

About the Author: Logan Smith is a Marketing Associate at SimplyDigi.com, a leading learning management system provider. The LMS is a secure, web-based training and e-learning solution that employs a simple user interface. For more information please visit http://www.simplydigi.com.