One of the overall goals of this blog was to use it as a means to collect my thoughts about the courses I am taking during the WELPS certificate. The E-learning industry almost prides itself on using acronyms, almost to the point of TMA (too many acronyms). It gets confusing!
A couple of the more common acronyms I thought I would tackle are LMS and LCMS.
- LMS - Learning Management System
- LCMS – Learning Content Management System
What is the difference between the two and can a “C” make all the difference in the definition? Let’s take a closer look and define what each one is and what they do.
An LMS is an online system that manages learners and the delivery of content. It provides access to training in the form of learning modules and tracks the progress and performance of learners during training activities.
An LCMS is different. It’s primary function is to manage learning content, not learners. It’s only connection to learners is that the LCMS stores learning objects and serves them to learners who need the information on demand or just-in-time.
As you can see, one letter makes all the difference. A very good write-up on the similarities and differences between LMS and LCMS can be found at Brandon Hall Research if you wish to learn more, but despite their differences both are effective when they work together in an integrated fashion. A whitepaper by IDC describes how both an integrated LCMS-LMS can form a learning system to meet the needs of the learner and the organization it supports.
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