Your learning management system (LMS) is a critical part of your classroom, especially now. More and more students are taking advantage of online learning for its flexibility and availability, even in uncertain times.

A study completed in late 2020 highlighted that roughly two-thirds of students in colleges and universities were educated either wholly or partially online. As a result of that push, many students and instructors expect more flexible learning options than the traditional classroom allows.

Whether your college or university class is 100 percent online or a mix between traditional and remote, your LMS is the gateway to learning. To ensure you and your students are prepared for whatever comes next, you must know how to make the most of your learning management system. These tips can help.

1. Choose the Right LMS for Your Institution

If you don’t have an LMS, the first step is to ensure you choose the right one for your classroom from the get-go. Choosing an LMS that isn’t the right fit will only lead to frustration on your behalf and for your students.

There are key elements to look for in an LMS. For instance, the one you choose should be:

  • Easy to use: The LMS you choose should be easy to use for students of varying ages. This means the LMS should have simple controls and a streamlined interface where course materials and resources can be found quickly and easily.
  • Customizable to fit your needs: Your LMS should be customizable, so you can make changes that fit your classroom. This may include controls that allow you to change the layout of your LMS or the ability to add more modules to enrich learning. Customization enables you to take your students’ feedback and make changes to your LMS to better fit their needs too.
  • Flexible with multiple material delivery options: While some of your learning material might be in basic document form, you may wish to use other materials too such as videos or interactive modules. Your LMS should support these material delivery options. In addition, your LMS should deliver testing options. For example, you should have the option to create both quizzes and exams.
  • Available from anywhere at any time: Students should be able to access the LMS from anywhere at any time. A cloud-based LMS (available via browser or an app with an internet connection) is a great choice.
  • Accessible for all: The LMS you choose should have accessibility features built right in. For example, it should have options for live-captioning and hand-raising, especially if you’re teaching live. It should also feature screen reader compatibility and multiple methods for turning in coursework.

Before you choose an LMS, try a few out first. Make note of what you like and what you don’t to narrow down your options.

2. Provide LMS Training Resources to Students

Your LMS is only useful if your students know how to use it effectively. Provide training materials and resources to your students before you open your e-learning class. For example, you could provide a handy printed guide document or even record a video of you using the most important tools inside the LMS.

It’s also important to highlight who a student should call in the event of a system issue or if they should have questions. Many LMS tools feature online support options and FAQ sections your students can visit for additional help when needed.

3. Ask for Feedback From Students Using Your LMS

As your students get acclimated to the learning environment, ask for their feedback on what works well and what doesn’t. This feedback may highlight issues within your LMS you were unaware of on the student side. You can then make changes to improve the learning environment for your students.

Feedback can also highlight what works great and the components your students really enjoy. This can help you understand what’s important to your students for future classes.

4. Ensure Your LMS Is Mobile-Friendly

Students using an LMS will need to access it on various devices, from tablets to phones. Your LMS itself as well as any other learning materials included should be mobile-friendly for the best experience.

First, choose an LMS with mobile capabilities such as a simple app students can open to view their work and communicate. Next, you’ll want to make sure your course materials are mobile-accessible too.

For example, put all of your content inside the LMS when possible instead of asking students to download documents. Downloading documents via mobile can be clunky and they’re often difficult to read. You should also eliminate all unnecessary content and stick to what’s important—screen space is limited on mobile.

5. Be Creative When Putting Together Course Materials in Your LMS

Online learning can be just as engaging, if not more engaging, than traditional classroom learning. With your LMS, you have the opportunity to provide truly in-depth learning experiences to your students. By adding access to additional content and course materials, you can lead your students to more.

Feel free to get creative. For example, create short and fun videos to showcase important topics. Or, use interactive modules to teach in-depth subject matter. This can be as simple as a drag and drop activity or a short quiz. Be sure to also include visuals such as graphics or even fun GIFs to further illustrate complex topics.

You can also gamify your learning to help inspire students to keep going. For example, incentivize students who complete certain course materials or who engage often in message boards.

6. Encourage Communication via Your LMS

Many LMS solutions come with simple communication tools, including message boards and emailing. These tools enable your students to reach out to you with questions and concerns right from within the LMS simply and quickly.

Encouraging communication using these tools can also help you keep your email inbox free from cumbersome threads and allow you to deliver the support your students need for classroom success.

You can also use these communication tools to foster collaboration and social learning between your students. For example, ask questions and allow your students to discuss via the message boards. Collaboration inside your LMS can provide your students with a sense of community, critical for education.

Take Learning to the Next Level With Lumen

Lumen Learning integrates with your LMS to make accessing digital courseware more streamlined. We offer a wide range of course materials, from biology to business. We’ll help you review the course materials within your LMS and decide if you’d like to use them in your class.

To learn more, fill out our request a demo form. A member of our team will get back to you quickly to review the course materials in your LMS and decide if you’d like to use them in your classes.