LMS or Learning Management System is a software application for the management and delivery of the e-learning programs. LMS can take care of organization, documentation, tracking and reporting of training programs. LMS can be used for corporate learning as well as for virtual classrooms. In virtual learning environment used by educational institutes, the instructors manage their courses and exchange information with the students several times over the duration of the course. For corporate learning the courses may be much shorter which may be completed in a single session.
The LMS should be able to manage the users. The users should be able to enroll in the courses. The LMS should be able to manage the roles assigned to the users. The LMS should be able to manage the courses and generate reports. The LMS should include course calendar and learning paths. The LmS should be able to handle messaging and notifications. The LMS should be able to display scores and grading. The LMS should ensure web based or blended delivery of the course.
There are many LMS available in the market based on different platforms like Java/J2EE, Microsoft .NET, PHP with a database deployed as back-end. Some of these LMS are free and open sourced while some are commercially developed licensed ones. Some popular open source LMS are ATutor, Moodle and Dokeos.
