In today’s episode of IT in Plain English, Tammy Ven Dange answers, “What is the difference between a Student Management System and a Learning Management System?”
A Student Management System or an SMS or sometimes an SIS is primarily used for administration purposes for a training or educational organisation. They keep track of student records like courses they take and test results. In Australia, they are especially used by Registered Training Organisations or RTOs for their required reporting related to government funding.
A Learning Management System or an LMS, on the other hand, is more like a virtual classroom that focuses on learning. It usually stores pre-built courses and related materials such as videos or interactive quizzes.
While the primary focus of each kind of system may be clear, in reality, their functionality often overlaps depending on the vendor.
So, how do you decide if you should invest in an SMS or an LMS? Well, I recommend you first look at your strategic objectives for the investment.
- If it is to reduce manual administration processes, look at an SMS first.
- If it is to store courses so that you can deliver them on-demand or in a hybrid delivery model, research an LMS instead.
So, there you have it in plain English.
If you have an IT question you want answered, feel free to connect with me here on my website or on LinkedIn and send me a message. I just might answer it on this show.
Sign-up here to subscribe to the “Executive with a Cause” newsletter.
Tammy Ven Dange is a former charity CEO, Not for Profit Board Member and IT Executive. Today she helps NFPs with strategic IT and data decisions.