.Despite the speed of breakthroughs the world achieved to fight the pandemic, there will be some things adapted during lockdowns that are here to stay. Remote learning is one of them. And one of the best tools to support your remote learning is a learning management system or LMS. Whether you’re already using it or are planning to have one, it’s crucial to prepare thoroughly. So, here are 6 challenges that you may encounter when using a learning management system!

 

6 Challenges You May Encounter When Using a Learning Management System

Assigning roles

While a learning management system is designed to make things easier for you, it still needs people to manage it so that it could function properly. That’s why one of the challenges you may encounter when using a learning management system is role delegation.

You need to assign competent people who’ll be responsible for the technical, administrative, and even instructive duties. The key to this is to ensure that you lay out all the tasks and the person who should take care of them. Define boundaries on what a role is responsible for and what they are not.

 

Onboarding users

Just like with other programs that you roll out, you also need to onboard your employees to use your learning management system. You won’t experience the full benefits your LMS can offer if your users don’t know how to use them.

Raise awareness in your organization about the LMS and the benefits of using them. Make sure to market it effectively so that you won’t only have your employees willing but also motivated to use it. And, don’t forget to educate your employees on the nitty-gritty of using your LMS.

 

Unreliable internet connectivity

It’s no secret that the Philippines has poor internet connectivity. In Ookla’s October 2020 Speedtest Global Index, an assessment ranking mobile and fixed broadband speeds from around the world monthly, the Philippines ranks 107th out of 176 countries in terms of fixed broadband speed and 111th out of 139 in mobile broadband speed. And, according to a joint study by the World Bank and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Filipinos pay more for slow internet services.

That’s why, for a learning management system that is reliant on being online, unreliable internet connectivity is going to be a challenge. So, when choosing your LMS, you can look for those with offline access to content. Or, if you can’t, you can also make some adjustments. Such as compressing video and image quality for lower file size. You can also focus on asynchronous learning so that your employees have the freedom to access the system at the time most convenient for them.

 

Incompatible content materials

There are various file formats available. For example, an image can come in JPEG, GIF, PNG, or WEBP. Videos, too, can be in MP4, MOV, FLV, AVI, WMV, etc. It’s a common challenge for a system to have some incompatible file formats. Your learning management system may have it, too.

So, when uploading your content in your LMS, make sure to take into consideration the file formats that it can accept.

 

Online security

As technology advances and online security evolves, the threats do, too. Cyber threats are getting more and more inventive, mastering the art of disguise and manipulation. With you using a learning management system, you’re also at risk from these.

Here are some steps you can take to protect your learning management system:

  • Use strong passwords and require your administrators and users to do so, too.
  • Optimize the security settings of your LMS.
  • Make sure to give higher-level access to relevant people only.
  • Backup often and encrypt your data.
  • Ensure that your learning management system is hosted on secure servers.

 

Lack of motivation and engagement

Since the shift to remote learning was abrupt, it’s possible that not enough preparations were made to rope in your employees to use an LMS. And this can be a great barrier to learner motivation and engagement.

Fortunately, many LMSs have integrated collaborative and interactive features that can help increase engagement. It’s also a case of how you market it to your employees. Make use of social media, internal marketing communication channels, email, and even during meetings to attract them to use your LMS.

 

Conclusion: Find the right learning management system for you

To combat the challenges that you may encounter when using a learning management system, you must have a platform that will truly support you. If managing an LMS looks too challenging for you, you may opt for the convenience of outsourcing it. LMS vendors know more about the system. This means that they can offload you some of the challenges such as onboarding and even provide comprehensive technical support.

 

If you’re looking for a learning management system for your organization that can help you combat the challenges of using one and provide you with dedicated support, the LearnED, a learning management system powered by People Dynamics, Inc. is just for you! Match your remote learning needs using LearnED. For more information, email us at solutions@peopledynamics.ph or contact us through our website.