Have you reached a point where you need a simple way to implement your existing training for your employees? Is your current training system not working for you anymore? Are you looking to switch to online training methods? This article will help you!
Online training programs for employees have become the norm in the corporate world. They have proven to be a more effective and cost-saving method for conducting training programs across all fields. It gives you a chance to give different training to different employees, as opposed to the one-for-all training method. This increases productivity among employees, as they are now more interested in learning what is relevant to them.
When you start looking at online training methods for your organization, you will come across different terms such as an Educational Platform, Training Software, or an LMS. At first glance, all three of these tools appear to be very similar. They are all types of training platforms, so, it makes sense that you might get confused as to which one will give you the best results. Despite the similarities, all three of these tools are different from each other, and being aware of these differences will help you decide which solution fits best for your organization. In this article, we will look at each of these terms in detail and understand how they are different from each other.
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Let’s start with basic definitions of these terms before moving on to details:
1. Educational Platform:
An Educational Platform might be referred to as any computer software that helps its users learn things. Here, the term ‘platform’ refers to anything that exists online. Any informative program available on the internet can be called an educational platform.
2. Training Software:
A training software is any computer software that is used to train people or employees in specific skills. A training software usually concentrates on improving a few specific skills and knowledge of the employee.
3. LMS:
LMS stands for Learning Management System. It is similar to training softwares with a few added features like allowing users to create their courses, organize their training material, and assign educational courses for specific employees.
In a nutshell, all three of these tools are used to learn things. Then how are they any different from each other?
Now that we have looked at the basic definitions of these terms, let us get into details and understand the differences in each of these learning methods.
What is an Educational Platform?
The main difference between educational platforms, training softwares, and LMS is how people make use of them. Educational platforms are mainly used in schools or universities, where they can organize students into different classes under a professor’s guidance.
An educational platform allows you to upload and download resources like notes, lessons, and assignments. Most educational platforms also offer an interactive forum where multiple users can discuss various topics with each other. They also offer basic testing features where students can complete their assignments and submit them for grading. You might even find a few educational platforms that allow you to upload media like audio and video files within your course. Although it seems like an educational platform covers all the basic features required for learning, it leaves out a few important features like video conferencing, live lesson streaming, or integration with other online tools to make a better course.
Educational platforms can be very effective in courses where a combination of both, in-person and online learning, is required. Hence, it has been observed that educational platforms are vastly used in universities and higher education training. However, it is unlikely that an educational platform will fulfill the needs of an organization for employee training programs.
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Training softwares and LMS:
Training softwares and LMS are more closely related to each other than an educational platform. They both work very similarly, but the only differences between the two are the kinds of features that they offer.
A training software comes with features like:
- Ability to create and upload courses.
- Organize employees into groups.
- Assign training to specific employees based on their needs
- Conduct tests and assessments to see how your employees are learning.
While an LMS also has the above-mentioned features, it comes with a few added features like:
- Reports and analysis. An LMS will gather and analyze all data about user progress or training completion, and other metrics that you can choose from as per your needs.
- LMS allows you to sync and integrate with other online tools that you might already be using.
- Customizable certification is another great feature that an LMS offers. You can add your company’s logo to the certificates and hand them out to your employees after they complete a specific course.
- LMS also allows you to gamify your course. You can add badges and points that your employees can gain for completion. A user leadership scoreboard can also be included to motivate your employees.
Keep in mind that these are just a few basic features that an LMS can offer. It might have many more features that you might need. You might even find some of these features in training softwares. But an LMS that comes without any of these features is not the best in the market.
To conclude,
An LMS is a training software, and training software is an educational platform. So, an LMS will have the same features as training softwares or educational platforms, but an educational platform will not have the same features as training softwares or LMS.
The process of choosing the right online training platform for your organizations starts with understanding your specific needs. Once your needs are defined, and you understand the basic differences between these online training platforms, you can easily find the solution for your employee training.
We hope this article was helpful to you. Thank you and all the best with your online training needs.
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