With access to technology becoming easier for everyone, the trend of online learning is now more common than ever. This has resulted in the surge of learning management systems (LMS) that facilitate e-learning. Statistics also back this fact, as 77% of companies in the United States opt for e-learning for their employees’ professional development.
That said, there’s still a section of people who believe in-person education is more effective than e-learning. According to statistics, 44% of small companies and 36% of large companies prefer instructor-led training in a classroom setting.
To facilitate both types of audiences, many companies now prefer LMS with blended learning capabilities. Find out more about the benefits and examples of blended learning LMS in this comprehensive guide.
A blended learning LMS combines traditional face-to-face instruction with online learning elements and bridges the gap between digital convenience and personal engagement. It offers a flexible and interactive training experience. Trainers can seamlessly integrate in-person classes, video lectures, quizzes, discussion forums, and other digital resources into a single platform.
This approach allows learners to access content at their own pace while benefiting from real-time interactions and guidance from instructors. With tools like progress tracking, automated grading, and personalized feedback, a blended learning LMS ensures that both trainers and learners have a streamlined and effective way to achieve their goals.
Integrating an LMS into blended learning environments offers numerous benefits. Some of these include:
Streamlined Learning With Blended Learning Software
An LMS brings together all the elements of blended learning—online resources, assignments, live sessions, and assessments—into a cohesive and streamlined structure. This eliminates confusion for learners and provides a more organized way of progressing through the course.
Using an LMS, trainees can easily switch between different learning modes, ensuring a smooth transition between in-person and online sessions. This ultimately improves learning efficiency and outcomes.
Enhanced Engagement Through Blended Learning Platforms
Most blended learning platforms come with interactive features, such as gamification, multimedia integration, quizzes, and simulations. The inclusion of these features significantly enhances learners' engagement. These tools make learning more dynamic and help reinforce course concepts in ways that traditional face-to-face instruction alone might not be able to.
Centralized Access To Resources
An LMS offers a centralized platform for all learning materials, making it easier for both trainers and learners to access essential resources like course content, videos, reading materials, and quizzes. With everything in one place, learners can easily engage with both online and face-to-face components of the course, ensuring a smooth learning experience.
Tracking And Monitoring Progress
One of the significant advantages of an LMS is the ability to track student progress in real time. Using this feature, trainers can monitor participation, assignment completion, quiz scores, and other key metrics. This data helps identify struggling learners, provide timely interventions, and optimize the course content based on learners' performance.
With so many options available, it can be challenging to find the best LMS for blended learning. The key is to identify the right features your company needs and find an LMS that offers them.
Features To Look For In Blended Learning LMS Platforms
While the exact requirement may vary from company to company, there are certain LMS features that you must look for in a learning platform for blended learning. These include:
Instructor-Led Training (ILT) Management
An LMS with ILT management capabilities enables trainers to set the time and location for in-person training in advance. It also allows learners to register and view relevant information about topics that will be covered in the session.
Virtual Classrooms
Through this feature, an LMS simulates a traditional classroom experience, allowing instructors and learners to connect through video, audio, and chat. It creates a real-time, interactive online session, enhancing engagement with features like polls, breakout rooms, and live annotations.
Analytics
An LMS with analytics tools offers insights into learner progress, engagement, and performance. Using these insights, instructors are better positioned to track participation, assess outcomes, conduct skill gap analysis, and identify areas for improvement
Social Media Integration
This feature allows learners to share resources, collaborate, and discuss course topics on popular platforms. This feature supports community engagement and extends learning beyond the LMS environment.
Mobile Access
As more people now use their mobile devices to engage with learning material, the selected LMS must offer a seamless mobile experience. Users should be able to access the content easily and conveniently and engage with the platform’s features, like gamification and assessment tracking.
Some of the most popular examples of blended learning platforms include:
SkyPrep
SkyPrep is a versatile LMS that streamlines both online and instructor-led training (ILT). Its user-friendly interface makes it easy for organizations to create and deliver blended learning experiences. With real-time progress tracking and advanced reporting, the software ensures that trainers and managers can monitor learner performance effectively.
This feature makes it an ideal software for corporate training. SkyPrep pricing is designed to accommodate businesses of various sizes, offering scalable plans based on user needs and the number of active learners.
TalentLMS
TalentLMS is a comprehensive learning platform suitable for businesses of all sizes. With features like virtual classrooms, gamification, and AI course creator, it facilitates real-time interactions while supporting self-paced learning.
The software particularly stands out for its TalentLibrary and adaptability, which makes it suitable for a wide range of training initiatives, including compliance, sales, and onboarding. It offers a free plan for beginners, while paid plans start from $119/month.
Skillsoft
Skillsoft is a powerful LMS platform that offers an extensive library of courses for professional development and corporate training. Its blended learning approach combines on-demand e-learning with live virtual classrooms and ILT sessions.
Furthermore, the platform’s AI-driven recommendations and progress tracking ensure a personalized learning experience. It offers custom pricing plans, making it suitable for companies with diverse requirements.
Docebo
Docebo LMS is an AI-powered, global learning platform that excels in creating engaging and collaborative learning experiences. Its blended learning tools include ILT session management, virtual classrooms, and social learning features such as forums and user-generated content.
The software is widely recognized for its reporting capabilities, allowing trainers to access in-depth analytics and AI-driven insights to measure and improve training outcomes. It offers flexible pricing plans catering to companies with different requirements.
Traliant
Traliant LMS is a dynamic Learning Management System tailored for corporate compliance and workplace culture training. Key features include an interactive course catalog covering topics like diversity and harassment prevention, customizable content, robust compliance tracking, and mobile responsiveness.
Unique selling points include engaging microlearning formats and gamification elements that foster employee interaction. Pricing is flexible, offering a pay-per-user model and annual subscriptions to suit various organizational sizes. With Traliant, businesses can enhance compliance training while promoting a positive workplace culture, ensuring an informed and engaged workforce.
Implementing blended learning can be a complex process. However, an LMS simplifies it by acting as a central hub for all learning activities. It facilitates trainers in easily integrating online and offline learning methods, ensuring a seamless experience for learners.
For example, the platform allows the scheduling of in-person sessions alongside digital content like video lessons, e-books, and quizzes. Furthermore, tools like calendar integrations and automated notifications ensure that learners stay informed about upcoming sessions, deadlines, and assignments.
An LMS also provides features to enhance efficiency, such as automated grading for online assessments and real-time attendance tracking for ILT. Virtual classroom tools enable live interactions, recreating the traditional classroom experience in a digital format. With mobile accessibility, learners can participate in training from anywhere, ensuring flexibility.
Overall, a learning platform consolidates all these functionalities, thereby removing administrative barriers and supporting organizations in implementing blended learning effectively.