A Learning Management System (LMS) is essential RTO Software used by organisations to support training delivery. The LMS your RTO uses could make or break your organisation, and heavily impact the quality of the training you deliver. This is especially important as online learning is more in demand than ever. Training providers need to step up their game or risk falling behind. The problem is not all Learning Management Systems in Australia are made the same. Some LMSs are better than others—so the question is, how do you choose the best LMS for your RTO?
The Best Learning Management System for RTOs Should be Feature-Rich
A Learning Management System should have tools that can easily provide a structure for learning development. To do that, the best learning management system for Australian RTOs should have these features:
Must-have Features of the best Learning Management Systems in Australia
For effortless learning and assessment delivery, an RTO LMS must include the following:
1. Reports and analytics – to stay on top of the student journey, ensure the LMS you choose provides reports for course activity, grades, attendance, progress, and the like.
2. Communication – provides an easy and convenient way to communicate with students, post announcements, and gain insight from your learners.
3. Content Management – streamlines e-Learning content delivery for a hassle-free experience. This feature also lets you create and edit your own content.
4. Compatibility – whether on a desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone, an LMS should smoothly run and be responsive on any type of device.
5. Immersive Elements – keeps your learners engaged, resulting in better learning outcomes. Having immersive elements in learning management systems makes training an enjoyable and informative experience.
6. Compliance – makes complying with ASQA requirements easier as you can generate data and store AQF-compliant records automatically in one place.
7. Learning Content – offers a vast catalogue of e-Learning learning content so you can deliver training straight away.
8. Integrations – an all-in-one software for your training needs. Be it popular applications, plug-ins or even SMS; the best learning management system helps you provide first-rate training while seamlessly integrating with other software.
Special Features
To make training delivery more efficient, here are a few more features you should look for:
9. Editable and customisable content – contextualise and modify learning content to suit your RTO, learners’ needs or brands standards.
10. Virtual Classroom – the pandemic abruptly forced RTOs to quickly adapt and shift to delivering online learning. Virtual classrooms provide RTOs, trainers and students more flexibility in how they deliver training and expands both your candidate and prospective student pool, from being geographically bound to a physical location.
How Do You Choose the Best Learning Management System for your RTO?
Now that we have outlined the features and tools an LMS should have, here are some further considerations to help you select the right solution. Narrow down your options by asking:
- What does your RTO need?
Ask your staff, trainers, and students what features and functionality they need for administration, training and learning. List these needs and include the information you gathered to define what crucial features your RTO requires from an LMS. Look for LMS software that ticks off the items on your list. With this, you can optimise the use of your LMS and get your money’s worth.
- Can the LMS be integrated with an SMS?
No one wants to manually enter data from one system to another for no good reason. You really want to ensure that your LMS will integrate fully with your Student Management System to ensure you are not wasting time on unnecessary duplication of data entry tasks.
Integration is often overlooked, particularly the level of integration (i.e., is all the data you need going to sync between systems?). RTOs often jump into new systems only to discover that the integration level is really limited, and they continue to have to manually update data between systems.
- Where is your data stored?
Beware of cheap LMS providers storing your data in offshore data centres. Your student data must be protected under Australia Privacy laws and these offshore data centres typically do not comply with Australia Data Security Standards. Always check to ensure that your data will be hosted here in Australia on reputable servers. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is hosted here and is considered Australia’s gold standard for cloud servers. When looking for an LMS that suits your RTO, ensure that your data is safe on Australian servers.
- Is training provided with your subscription?
Training in your new system is critical for a successful transition to your new Learning Management System. Always ask if your new LMS provider offers critical training you and your staff need to get the most out of your new LMS.
- Do the developers offer quality support?
Ensure that you will get expert and timely customer support when you need help or assistance. There is nothing worse than waiting three days (or more!) to get a critical response from customer support. Also, make sure your LMS provider gives you a phone support number and that they can be reached during your business hours.
See if your potential LMS provider has a comprehensive catalogue of “How To” tutorials that you can easily view without the need to call anyone. This might seem like a small thing, but having ready-made instructional materials for you to view anytime is incredibly convenient.
Lastly, check the website for testimonials and feedback about the software and the team behind it. Are the clients satisfied with the software? Are they recognised for their prompt response and excellent customer service? A quick search on the internet gives you a glimpse of their post-sales care.
There are many Learning Management Systems available to RTOs in Australia. Equipping yourself with these questions and tips will ensure you find the best learning management system for your RTO that’s also perfect for your trainers’ and learners’ needs.
eSkilled LMS is a robust solution packed with incredible features to assist you with delivering quality learning and much more. It can also be seamlessly integrated into eSkilled SMS or any compatible system, helping you deliver exceptional training while streamlining compliance and administration processes using just one RTO system. Plus, our dedicated team behind the software offers great customer support that goes above and beyond.
Learn more about the amazing features by scheduling a tour here. You can also get in touch with us by calling 1300 884 811 or filling out the form below.
