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LMS vs. LCMS: Find out which learning system is right for you
Instructors and students use an LMS, while an LCMS is primarily used by learning content creators. Learn more about the differences between LMSes and LCMSes.
An LMS and an LCMS might seem similar, but important distinctions exist between the two. A company might need only one or both, so HR leaders should learn about the two types of software.
Both a learning management system (LMS) and a learning content management system (LCMS) can be instrumental for onboarding, training and other educational scenarios. However, an LMS is a tool for sharing knowledge within an organization, while an LCMS enables users to create and publish digital learning content.
Here's more about an LMS vs. an LCMS as well as situations in which organizations should use one or the other.
What is an LMS?
A learning management system is a type of software that helps users plan, implement, and assess educational programs. Two user types primarily use LMSes: instructors and students.
Instructors can use an LMS to organize educational content, create courses and learning processes, deliver content and courses to students, track student participation, and assess student performance and engagement. Students can use an LMS to engage with educational content and interact with their peers.
LMSes often host self-service resources that students can access at any time, and they might include interactive features, such as video conferencing and discussion forums.
In a business environment, an LMS can be the home for an employee onboarding program or upskilling opportunities. Companies also often use an LMS for mandatory trainings for employees and might have an LMS serve as a repository of information so employees can share knowledge.
The ultimate goal of an LMS is to provide an easy-to-use platform for teaching and learning.
What is an LCMS?
A learning content management system is similar to an LMS, but its distinguishing factor is its emphasis on content management. A traditional content management system is software that enables users to create, edit, organize and publish digital content. An LCMS is a content management system specifically built for writing learning content.
LCMS features typically include the following:
- Workflows for moving content between system users.
- Commenting tools.
- Customizable templates for various content types.
- A searchable index for storing and sharing content as needed.
- Publishing tools for scheduling, posting, and revising content.
The ultimate goal of an LCMS is to simplify the creation and management of custom educational content, especially at scale. An LCMS can also help maintain quality standards across content.
Users who create a large amount of educational content and onboard a large number of content creators will likely find an LCMS helpful.
LMS vs. LCMS: Which is right for you?
An LCMS' primary focus is on creating and organizing content on the back end, while an LMS handles front-facing aspects, such as displaying content, scheduling course times and hosting discussion forums.
The other major difference between an LMS and an LCMS is the user base. Typically, only instructors or other content creators and administrators use an LCMS, while students and instructors use an LMS.
An LMS might be the right choice for an organization if the company already possesses pre-existing assets and learning content. Users can import the content into an LMS and arrange it into modules as desired. However, companies that need to create a large amount of learning content from scratch will likely find an LCMS to be the better option. An LCMS also makes it easier to create content that's tailored to particular learners and enables users to repackage or reuse content as needed.
LMSes usually provide more administrative functions and more robust tracking and analytics features, which can make it easier to carry out functions such as aligning educational programs with organizational goals, managing user permissions, scheduling trainings and keeping track of progress and performance. Meanwhile, LCMSes streamline the content creation process, making it easier for creators to find material and collaborate.
Overlap can exist between LMSes and LCMSes. For example, some LMSes include basic editing and authoring tools, and some LCMSes include analytics tools for measuring content engagement. LMSes and LCMSes are also often designed as complementary software.
Jacob Roundy is a freelance writer and editor specializing in a variety of technology topics, including data centers and sustainability.
