NOTE: Solutions in this category are designed to be used by educational institutions, such as K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and professional schools. If you are looking for an LMS to use in a business or corporate setting, please visit our Corporate LMS software category.
Learning management systems (LMSs) are platforms designed to help instructors manage educational coursework online. They provide educators with a single platform for making course material accessible online, including lesson content, assignments, and assessments. LMSs are used to help streamline the delivery of online learning for educational institutions, allowing for a more connected and accessible educational experience for students.
An LMS enables instructors to build digital courses that include various types of content, such as syllabi, lectures, multimedia files, and readings, as well as distribute assignments to students. LMSs also offer online assessment functionality, such as quizzes and tests. Communication features enable instructors to communicate with students and parents via direct messages, mobile notifications, and discussion forums.
Although there are similarities between education-focused LMSs and corporate LMS software products, platforms designed for K-12 or higher education typically include features specific to educational environments, such as grading functionality and individualized feedback on student assignments. LMSs work in concert with other education software, such as student information systems (SIS), to streamline student data management.
To qualify for inclusion in the Learning Management System (LMS) category, a product must:
Provide a platform for educators to deliver online course content to students
Distribute assignments to students and allow instructors to grade student work
Administer digital assessments to students
Facilitate individualized feedback on student work, such as through written comments or grading rubrics
Generate performance dashboards for tracking student progress
Contain gradebook functionality or integrate with third-party gradebooks
