LMS and LCMS: What’s the Difference?

Below is an extract of the original article by Leonard Greenberg

If you’re confused about the differences between a learning management system (LMS) and a learning content management system (LCMS), you’re not alone. Not only are the names similar, some suppliers are positioning LCMSs as the new wave of LMSs. In fact, an LMS and an LCMS are complementary but very different systems that serve different masters and address unique business challenges.

In essence, an LMS is a high-level, strategic solution for planning, delivering, and managing all learning events within an organization, including online, virtual classroom, and instructor-led courses. The primary solution is replacing isolated and fragmented learning programs with a systematic means of assessing and raising competency and performance levels throughout the organization. For example, an LMS simplifies global certification efforts, enables companies to align learning initiatives with strategic goals, and provides a viable means of enterprise-level skills management. The focus of an LMS is to manage learners, keeping track of their progress and performance across all types of training activities. It performs heavy-duty administrative tasks, such as reporting to HR and other ERP systems but isn’t generally used to create course content. Continue reading

Vote Now For Best of Elearning! Awards 2013

Polls are now open for The Best of Elearning! 2013 Awards! Now in its 9th year, Elearning! Magazine allows eLearning professionals to nominate elearning products and services each year.  Readers and users of elearning solutions can nominate and vote for solutions across 27 different categories until May 1st and The Best of Elearning! Awards will be honored at the Enterprise Learning! Conference & Expo on August 26th at the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA, and showcased at ELCE and ELCE Virtual.

eFront LMS has been a Best of Elearning! award winner for the past 2 consecutive years and we need your help to make it 3 years in a row!

If you have 1 minute (and you know you do! ;) ) please click on the link below to vote for eFront Learning in the following categories:

  • Category #1: Best Learning Management System (SaaS, Cloud-based, or open-source only)
  • Category #2: Best Learning Management System (Enterprise-based, behind the firewall)
  • Category #27: Best Open Source Solutions (Any category)

Here’s all you need to do:

  1. Click on the “vote now” link below
  2. Fill in categories 1, 2 &/or 27 with your own reasons of course :)
  3. Scroll down the page, fill in your details and click submit!

Click to vote now

And here’s why your vote matters to us

“In a recent survey, more than 85% of respondents have personally recommended an e-learning solution to a peer over the last 12 months. And, 61% agreed that award-recognition impacted their decision to consider or purchase from the vendor. The Elearning! Awards program formalizes this process by publishing the recommendations of e-learning users and honoring “Best-in-Class” solutions.” ~ ELearning! Magazine

If you’re interested in seeing previous winners (& we were amongst them ;) ) – please click here

Thank you from the team at eFront!

Ten tips to build interactivity

Interactivity is a key component in the learning process. While it’s relatively easy for a teacher in a classroom to interact with the learners and, by ‘reading’ the situation, involve them in the learning process in the most effective ways, it’s much harder for those producing online learning materials. For one thing, they can only make educated guesses at their learners’ needs, state of mind, attitude to and preferences for learning and so on.

So, when developing online learning materials, it’s important to define the content that needs to be learned; determine what the learner must do as a result of completing these learning materials, and so decide on the most appropriate ‘treatment’ for the content. Users must interact with online learning materials to navigate through the materials; amass information and make decisions.

Considering what the learner needs to know or do – rather than what the teacher wants to teach – involves you in ‘interactivity’. So here are ten things to bear in mind about interactivity when you’re developing online learning materials:

  1. Allow the learners to control their learning – so they’re more likely to engage with the whole learning activity. You should always let them see where they’re going on their learning journey and what options they have at each stage of that journey. Continue reading

Telecommuting vs ‘Telepresence’

There are countless articles all over the internet describing telecommuting and how that compares to “traditional” working in an office. However, most of them deal with the matter under the assumption that the employee is either self-employed, or has a flexible working schedule. That means, when comparing the two types of employment, one of the key advantages of telecommuting is presented to be the freedom in making use of your time in your own way.

This is not necessarily an advantage though. Under the light of recent developments, where Yahoo and now Best Buy are cancelling their flexible work programs, it would be interesting to present a third option: working from home, but in an office at the same time (for the sake of this post, let’s call this “telepresence”). This means that you get to work from the location of your choice but under the 40-hour schedule and availability obligations you would have if you were to work in an office (I have been working this way in our company for several years).

So, how does “telepresence” relationship compare to the other two extremes (and why is it better)?

You can find telecommuting vs office work comparisons all over the internet, so I’ll only present a list of “telepresence” advantages compared with telecommuting: Continue reading

Why tablets will make us smarter

The history of mankind has shown that information is the fundamental leverage factor for our mental development. The most profound moments throughout time have to do with changes in the way information was communicated, stored, processed. After inventing language and writing, the most important development was the modern communication networks. And now, the tablet.

What makes tablets so powerful is their inherent interactivity and intuitiveness. The Economist had a great article about Grace Wambui, a 14-year-old pupil in Nairobi, who was given a tablet at school. Having never touched a tablet before, she figured out how to use it within a minute or so. And she is old. My own niece, 18 months old, figured out how to see videos and photos on my tablet, after playing her favorite games. She learned how to play the infamous birds game and her favorite memory-cards game, while she could barely speak. Now, that’s a breakthrough. Continue reading

Competition Finalist 5: Learning on Tablets

This post was submitted by Rosalie Ledda. Rosalie blogs about elearning in Spanish and can be found on LinkedIn.

Introduction

With the eruption of the iPad there is plenty of questions about its use. Do we have to replace textbooks in schools for tablets? Should companies think of adapting their content to be viewed on tablets?

Learning on Tablets according to the NMC Horizon Report

According to 2012 NMC Horizon Report Higher Education Edition tablets present new opportunities to enhance learning experiences when compared with other devices.
Tablets are considered less disruptive than smartphones because there are no ringing and no incoming messages that can distract the learners.
But what the report underlines is that the iPad has revolutionized the way in which people interact with the content. People now can swipe pages, pinch to zoom in or zoom out over the images, maps or even tap on the screen and run a video or a song. Suddenly, the content has become interactive, it has become engaging. Continue reading

Competition Finalist 4: Top 10 Startup Social Media Curation Tools for Social Learning in the Workplace

This post was submitted by Duma Cornel Lucian.

1. Glogster Edu is my favorite curation and presentation tool and I am proud to be an Ambassador. This edu tool opens the gateway through knowledge for students because it develops children’s creativity and innovation . Glogster EDU is the leading global education platform for the creative expression of knowledge and skills in the classroom and beyond. GlogsterEdu empower educators and students with the technology to create GLOGS – online multimedia posters – with text, photos, videos, graphics, sounds, drawings, data attachments and more. I made a GlogsterEdu for Curation Restart Education Project here http://dumacornellucian.edu.glogster.com/credproject/  Continue reading

Competition Finalist 3: Social Learning Applied

This post was submitted by Kalliopi Sigala.

Social Learning. Buzz word, right? Well, yes and no. The truth is somewhere in the middle. To get down to it, let’s see some actual facts and concepts that can be useful in the real world, and not just for the hype of it.

First, a quick recap. Social Learning is one of the four trending topics in the e-Learning industry right now (others being Mobile, Gamification and Bit-Size eLearning). Sure, these are buzzwords also, but the truth is that these three are easily digestible when it comes to thinking applications to learning processes and e-learning technologies. Social Learning is vague. Roberta Gogos previously posted a great definition of what social learning is, but where do we go from here? How can we use Social Learning concepts to leverage the learning process and improve the average learning curve? Continue reading

Competition Finalist 2: Meeting Learner’s Needs

This entry was submitted by Bob Little. Bob blogs regularly and can be found on LinkedIn.

Since the 1990s, learning has been moving from “institutionalised” to ˜lifelong”; from “judgemental” to “developmental”; from “privileged” to “open access”; from “knowledge-based” to “competence-based”; from “passive” to “interactive”; from “didactic” to “facilitated and self-managed”; from “exclusive” to “inclusive”, and from “synchronous and physical” to “asynchronous and virtual”.

Learning materials can be fitted onto two continuums: tutor-directed to learner-directed and closed/ didactic to open/ heuristic. Traditional elearning fits into the “tutor-directed and closed/ didactic” parts of these continuums but more recent “web 2.0″ online learning materials are moving further way from these points, allowing learners freedom to learn by experience and from exploring other resources. Continue reading

Competition Finalist 1: John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime Uni. Case Study

This entry was submitted by Cristin Arante

The John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University comprises three major academic units: JBLFMU-Arevalo, JBLFMU-Molo and JBLCF-Bacolod. In addition, the University encompasses a wide array of centers and programs, libraries, museums, administrative support offices and a training center that supports continuing training and education programs. Approximately 11,000 students attend the University.
Being the only maritime university in Philippines and the first maritime university in Asia, the JBLFMU is committed to the development of a culture of excellence in maritime education and training, and responds to the need of time by acknowledging the practical and operational advancement of Online Distance Learning (ODL) mode of delivery.

The Situation

The JBLFMU-Distance Education-Open Learning Office (DE-OL) aims to extend graduate maritime studies throughout the country and the whole world; to provide opportunities for instructors/trainers in maritime educational institutions, personnel of maritime and shipping industries on-board ship and/or ashore to acquire a master’s degree in Maritime Education, Maritime Management and/or Ship Management. The system of programs uses both on-campus and off-campus methods of delivering education to a wide range of students around the globe, who want to enhance their competencies to better, prepare them for a career in maritime institutions and industries. Continue reading